KOLLAM: CPM’s newly constituted secretariat and state committee are classic instances of brilliant social engineering. While all the leaders inducted newly in the secretariat – K K Shailaja, C N Mohanan and M V Jayarajan – belong to the dominant Ezhava community, it is the leaders from the Muslim community who have registered a strong representation in the state committee.
The promotion of Shailaja, Mohanan and Jayarajan to the secretariat is seen as a reassurance to the Ezhava community that there will be no dearth of community representation even after Pinarayi Vijayan.
“The Ezhava community is the backbone of the party,” a CPM state secretariat member told TNIE.
“We did suffer a setback in the Parliament elections as a result of resentment from the community. The leadership has realised that, and ever since, things are on the right track.”
The Ezhava community representation was also evident in the election of district secretaries. Out of the 14 district secretaries, nine are from the Ezhava community. Meanwhile, in the state committee, four of the 15 new members are from the Muslim community: DYFI state president V Vaseef, Thrissur district secretary K V Abdul Khader, Kozhikode district secretary M Mehaboob and Wayanad district secretary K Rafeeq.
The four leaders’ elevation is said to be aimed at silencing the criticism by Muslim fringe elements that the CPM is neglecting the minority community and taking a pro-Hindu path. Among those, Rafeeq rose up through his work as a DYFI leader by attracting Muslim youths towards the CPM.
KV Abdul Khader, as an MLA from Guruvayoor, had successfully attracted majority community votes during elections. The emergence of more leaders from the Muslim community is also a major shift from the CPM's earlier strategy where the latter depended more on Muslim organisations rather than building its own base in the community.
"This is a reply to those who criticize CPM as anti- Muslim party," a state committee leader told TNIE. "These leaders' visibility in the leadership will have effects on the minority community," he said.
There was some displeasure among Ezhava community leaders that there are 5 members from Nair community in the current state cabinet despite the fact that it is the Ezhava community which is the backbone of the party. With the inclusion of 3 members from Ezhava community, CPM has deftly addressed that concern.
The CPM's decision to include Health minister Veena George as a permanent invitee to the state committee is also seen as a reassurance to the Christian community heads. So is the inclusion of John Britas, a Roman Catholic as a permanent member of the state committee.