Worsening relations heat up between CPI, CPM

T’PURAM: The worsening relations between the CPM and the CPI in the LDF have become reminiscent of the relations, both parties having in the United Front government in 1967-69.

The ADB loan issue was the latest among the irritant factors of the CPM-CPI relations.The CPM leadership has sharply reacted to the comments made by CPI state secretary Veliyam Bhargavan on the circumstances his party agreed to the ADB loan in the LDF meeting.In his reaction Pinarayi Vijayan has given the toughest warning to the CPI by saying “don’t try to cross the limits”.

By publicly disowning the statement of Veliyam,LDF convenor Vaikkom Viswan has expressed his distrust on a constituent party.

This is the first time after the seven party United Front government during 1967-69 led by EMS,the differences between both the parties resorted to an open confrontational course on policy issues.During the period of the UF government the CPM made an attack on T.V.Thomas,who was the Industries Minister,for his attempts to seek the cooperation of Japan to start industries in the state.

The differences further aggravated with the chief minister ordering a probe on the corruption allegations against CPI ministers T V Thomas and M N Govindan Nair which finally led to the collapse of the ministry and CPI leader C Achutha Menon forming a government with the support of other coalition partners and the Congress.

Though both the parties again united under the LDF after a decade and worked together in three ministries led by Nayanar,they managed to settle all their differences on the policy and administrative issues within the frame work of the LDF.

This time the realtions between both the parties had been strained even before the formation of the ministry. The stiff opposition of the CPI on admitting the party led by K.Karunakaran in to LDF fold had become a setback especially for the official faction in the CPM.The CPI was not happy on sidelining it in the LDF on many issues including the drafting of the self-financing educational institutions bill.

The CPI used the ADB loan issue with an objective to further aggravate the confusion prevailing among the CPM ranks and it was this factor forced the CPM leadership to give a warning to the CPI.

The CPI consider the worsening factionalism in the CPM state unit as an opportunity to take an advantageous position and in the attempt it has adopted a soft approach towards the faction led by V.S.Achuthanandan.In the late 1960s,the CPI had taken a similar approach towards the Naxalites,who left the CPM,eventhough ideologically opposed to them.

It is a fact that the CPM-CPI relations were never cordial after the split in 1964 and were behaving like arch enemies inspite of their association in the LDF in the state or the Left Front at the national level as each party trying to pose itself as the real communist party.

Despite united under the Left Front, both parties were following independent political lines in many states including UP and Bihar.In Kerala,the CPI leadership is closely watching the developments in the state unit of the CPM to take a decisive step.

It is also interesting to note that like the support extended to the UPA government at the centre,the CPI,CPM and undivided DMK had come together in 1969 to support the minority government led by Indira Gandhi at the centre after split in the Congress.

While the CPI continued to support the Congress led by Indira Gandhi as she pursued an anti-imperialist (close ties with soviet union) anti-monopoly (bank nationalization) and anti-feudal (stopping privy-purse),the CPM moved in the opposit direction.