CPM mulls new strategies to counter BJP’s growth in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has finally woken up to the threat of BJP in the state, if the discussion in the ongoing CPM state committee meeting is any indication. Sources say that the debate triggered by state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who said there was an urgent need to rejuvenate the state unit of the party to face the growing threat of BJP turned out to be a fruitful debate in the state committee on Wednesday and Thursday.
The state secretary also pointed out the largescale penetration of workers with Sangh mindset in the feeder organizations of the party and said there needed to be steps to address those. The report on organizational corrections, prepared with inputs received during the house visit campaign held across the state in July, noted that BJP workers are slowly filtering in all sectors, including artists, cultural workers, scientists and bureaucrats.
Sources said CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury who addressed state committee members on Wednesday cautioned them about the alarming trends being played out in Kashmir. Yechury said Kashmir was only a beginning and other states, including Kerala, would have to face similar anti-democratic steps from the fascist government soon. He asked party workers to dispute all fake claims of BJP by presenting the facts of the matter to people.
On Thursday, the debate in the state committee revolved more around the performance of LDF government. It is learnt that Rebuild Kerala campaign was a major topic of debate and many leaders demanded that the plan for Rebuild Kerala should be completely in tune with the concept of sustainability and environmental concerns. “Some of the leaders said the Gadgil report can’t completely be ignored in the changed context. Party will have to take a futuristic perspective rather than focussing on short term targets,” said a source.
The state committee also resolved to expose Centre’s neglect towards the state in dealing with natural calamity. The reluctance of the Centre to help the state after floods last year was pointed out by members. The leaders suggested that BJP government’s partisan attitude to the state needs to be taken up as a major political campaign. There were also suggestions to improve dissemination of government’s good projects among people as many of the government’s pathbreaking moves haven’t reached the grass roots effectively.
The repeated fund collection drives among public and party workers was also raised by a few leaders during the debate. Sources said the demand to limit fund collection to once or twice in a year was raised by a few members who had said they found stiff resistance from several people on the fund collection issue.
The debate on organizational rectification report will conclude on Friday with the reply of state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to the suggestions and criticism levelled by members.