CPM, CPI for minority-appeasement

The relationship between the CPI(M) and CPI in Kerala has suffered some serious setbacks of late despite repeated calls by both parties for broader Left unity but that does not prevent them from formulating fresh plans intended at appeasing and attracting the minorities to strengthen their respective organizational bases.

The CPI, which concluded its 21st State conference in Kollam on Saturday evening with an impressive rally of about 100,000 activists and sympathizers and a march by 20,000 red volunteers, decided to strongly interfere in the religious and political issues of the minority communities of Kerala.

At the same time, the CPI(M), whose 20th State conference ended in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, decided to launch efforts for making direct inroads into the minority communities without depending on the assistance of intermediaries. The use of religious icons like the Christ Crucified picture at a recent party exhibition was part of this programme.

The CPI conference decided to find remedy for the consistent fall in its memberships among religious minorities by interfering in their political issues in order to protect their religious and social rights. It also wants to induct deserters from parties like the CPI(M) so that they do not join Sangh Pariwar outfits.

Making it clear that the CPI(M) would formulate programmes to directly intervene in the issues concerning the minority communities, Pinarayi Vijayan, who was re-elected as State secretary for the fourth consecutive term the other day, claimed in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday that more and more people from the minorities had been joining his party of late.

The Kerala CPI(M) has enjoyed the support of some sections in the Christian and Muslim communities but it has been depending on outfits like the Kerala Congress, the Indian National League and the Jama’at-e-Islami for this. This dependence has been causing problems to the party from time to time as such made “unacceptable” demands, according to sources.

Pinarayi said that opposition to the CPI(M) was coming from politically influential sections of the Christian Church. “Some senior Christian priests are opposing us in Kerala but in the national level they say that we alone have been helping them in times of need,” Pinarayi said in reference to a statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India on the Odisha situation.

Pinarayi claimed that the poor among the Muslims had been facing several kinds of problems and that his party would remain alert to take up such issues.

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