THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The religious and communal colours in Kerala politics are back with a vengeance as the beleaguered CPM is pulling up its socks to defeat the ruling Congress in their war on communal appeasement in the state.
Ahead of the party conferences scheduled to be held from October 1, the party seems to have compromised on the very principles of religious and communal indifference. Going against the rectification document passed in the Party plenum held in Palakkad last year, the party cadres are now encouraged to join religious forums to woo the communities in an effort to win back the support of Hindus and Dalits.
CPM traditionally was opposed to its cadres taking membership and assuming offices in caste organisations like NSS and SNDP. As the BJP is making inroads among these disgruntled communities, the CPM is encouraging its cadres to assume office in such organisations.
The party faced electoral drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections at the hands of United Democratic Front (UDF) where they were handed out many humiliating defeats like their Politburo member M.A. Baby lost from Kollam, a Left citadel, to UDF supported RSP leader N.K. Premachandran.
In an attempt to overcome the political debacle, the CPM was seen giving directions to its cadres to take part in the religious programmes like Sree Krishna Jayanthi. In the northern districts of the state, there have been moves to organise Sobha Yatras (religious procession) on Sri Krishna Jayanthi day under the aegis of secular organisations instead of participating under Balagokulam, a Children's forum under the RSS.
“This time, we have taken a decision to allow the party members and their families to join the Sobha Yathras,” said Srikumar, a former area committee member of CPM in Chengannur in the Alapuzha district.
In a clear departure from their pre-election stand, the CPM has been placing cut outs of Hindu saints like Swami Vivekananda, Chattampi Swamikal, Sri Narayana Guru and others during the party conferences.
The party has drawn comprehensive plan to reach out en masse. As part of the branch conferences, former party activists and those who have made sacrifices to the party will be honoured in the inaugural sessions. The party fractions have also been directed to invite party sympathisers to the inaugural sessions.
Speaking to The Sunday Standard, Thiruvananthapuram District Secretary Kadakampally Surendran said, “Karshaka sangham, AIDWA, Balasangham and other frontal organisation will also have a role to play in the smooth conduct of the conferences.”
Party leadership has instructed the lower level Party fractions to ensure the representation of members from Hindu majority communities like Ezhava, Nair and Dalit communites like Pulaya.