CPI-M mulls more workable relationship with Indira Gandhi

However incredible it may sound, the current debate within the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) revolves around the thesis that the party should evolve a more workable relationship with Mrs Gandhi. This, according to its protagonists, will enable the party to breathe more freely so that it can consolidate its own established bases and seek fresh pastures.The issue is expected to be taken up with considerable seriousness when the West Bengal state committee of the CPI-M holds a conference-after a four-year gap-at the end of this year to be immediately followed by the Andhra Pradesh congress of the party in January.The West Bengal Marxists have, by and large, been virulently anti-Mrs Gandhi and have, on repeated occasions, crossed swords with some Central leaders of the party who had advocated a softer course. But today there is a coterie within the party's West Bengal unit which feels that if the party is to work within the parliamentary system and seek to implement its economic programmes through the Government, then it is imperative for the party to work out an understanding with Mrs Gandhi.Fluid Situation: The basis for an understanding between the prime minister and the Left, of which the two communist parties are the most- organised, exists both in the international and national contexts; it is this fluid situation, the forces within the CPI-M feel, which should be exploited. Without commenting on the present controversy in the party, Marxist Chief Minister Jyoti Basu told India Today last fortnight: "We share Mrs Gandhi's concern at the rearming of Pakistan and the attitudes adopted by the Reagan Administration towards India and we have adopted resolutions on the subject. But she must realise that she cannot afford, in the present situation just across our borders, to create instability within the country with measures like the Essential Services Maintenance Ordinance which hits at the very existence of the working class. This is what we have been trying to impress on her. Let us see how she responds."The Marxists strongly feel that the time is fast approaching when both international and national compulsions will compel the prime minister to turn to the leftists for support. Keeping an eye on that possibility, the Marxists are trying to strike a bargain. Though there are no differences of opinion on the issue of the prime minister looking for allies, the Marxists are divided on whether she should be offered an olive branch or whether with the help of other opposition forces the party should further strengthen the agitation against her Government. Those who are opposed to the former scheme recall 1969 when the party had supported her on several issues, including the election of V.V. Giri, "which only strengthened her and helped her to come down on us with a heavy hand".The party leadership finds itself in a quandary. They have no option but to support Mrs Gandhi on issues related to communalism and the separatist tendencies in the north-eastern states, particularly Assam. But such support takes them away from other organised opposition forces like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and diminishes the possibility of collaboration on specific issues which again goes to the advantage of Mrs Gandhi. Jyoti Basu and CPI-M politburo member and West Bengal State Committee Secretary Promode Das Gupta know very well that any gains that may be derived by siding with Mrs Gandhi on particular issues will be more than offset by the advantages she will reap from the lack of opposition unity.Basu and Mrs Gandhi: The basis for an understanding existsUnity: This explains the current emphasis on building up the unity of leftist and democratic forces which will stand the Marxists in good stead at the time of an offensive by Mrs Gandhi. But here the stumbling block is the Congress(S). In Kerala the Marxists have so far refused to have any relations with them. Also, there is no clear indication that the other Congress will ultimately remain an opposition force despite Sharad Pawar's claims. The other opposition forces that have been identified by the CPI-M as "democratic" are the Lok Dal, the group led by Bahuguna and Raj Narain's socialists. But these are too fragmented to be of any significance. In West Bengal a decisive move towards building left and democratic unity has been the inclusion of the CPI in the Left Front, a move which all sections within the CPI-M have not liked.When the Janata Government fell in 1979 and Mrs Gandhi returned to power in 1980, many in the Opposition had blamed the CPI-M for the debacle and many in the West Bengal unit had also pointed their fingers at their Central leaders. Today, the West Bengal unit of the CPI-M is bringing up the whole issue for an inner-party debate as is evident from "Party Letter-7" which has been released to the press. One interpretation has it that the leadership is quietly trying to bring the debate to firmly conclude that the Janata ministry fell because it had failed to deliver the goods, and that if in the process Mrs Gandhi returned to power it was because there was no other national alternative. The purpose seems to be to end the controversy between the state unit and Central leaders like P. Ramamurthy and M. Basavapunniah who had master-minded the fall of Janata and are today reported to be keen on working out some sort of a live-and-let-live arrangement with the prime minister. At least for the time being the West Bengal Marxists appear to have realised that the pursuit of a path of least resistance is the best guarantee of survival.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 30, 2013 14:30 IST--- ENDS ---

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CPI-M mulls more workable relationship with Indira Gandhi

However incredible it may sound, the current debate within the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) revolves around the thesis that the party should evolve a more workable relationship with Mrs Gandhi.

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