People's Democracy

 KERALA STATE COMMITTEE CALL

 Defend Marxism-Leninism

Following is the press release issued by the CPI (M) Kerala state committee after its meeting held on February 13-15 in Thiruvananthapuram

The 14th Loksabha elections are a very important political struggle. It should be taken up as a valiant struggle against the ruinous policies of both the central government and state government run by the UDF, which are playing havoc with our country. The rise of the communal BJP can only be challenged by strengthening the Left and democratic forces and the CPI (M) in particular. The Left should be strengthened also to resist the anti-people economic policies being vigorously pursued by both the BJP and the Congress. The campaign against the Congress and the UDF, which is implementing the same anti-people policies of the BJP except on the issue of communalism, should be taken up along with the campaign against the BJP.

By diluting the anti-imperialist foreign policy, by selling out the public sector units, by placing communal fascists in key administrative posts, by undermining the public distribution system, by communalising education, by increasing the number of those unemployed, by undermining the basic tenets of the Constitution and by institutionalising corruption the BJP government has ruined every sector. The series of gruesome murders, which was orchestrated by the Sangh Parivar in Gujarat, was a dark chapter in the history of our country. The UDF government in the state, which pursues a soft communal approach compared to the BJP, however aggressively pursues the sell out of the PSUs and the undermining of the social security projects. It also encourages  widespread corruption, selling out of state’s natural resources to foreign and Indian monopoly houses and the collapse of the law and order,. The policies of the Antony government have pushed the lives of the 40 lakh odd workers in state’s traditional sectors into the dark. Even community heads have complained that clearance to educational institutions is given away to those who are ready to bribe the education minister.

In this context the conscious efforts from some quarters to defame the image of the CPI (M), which is fighting the anti-people policies of the central and state governments, should be identified.

The state secretariat held on January 10 and 11 had come out with a statement making clear the Party line on the criticisms and false allegations made against the Party and its leadership from some quarters.

The state secretariat had found that M P Parameswaran has deviated from the Party outlook and his open assertions of these deviations were seen as a serious act of indiscipline. The secretariat had asked for a clarification from him. The state committee has found his explanation inadequate and rejected it. The open stance and campaign of Parameswaran stands as a refusal of the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism. By conti-nuing with these acts Parameswaran does not deserve to continue as a Party member. The state committee has decided to expel Parameswaran on serious charges of indiscipline.

The Party stance on foreign funds needs to be clarified in the context of the  controversy that has arisen. The institutions, which receive foreign funds, can be categorised into three. 1) academic institutions like the CDS and other Universities, 2) state governments, 3) mass organi-sations, which have members of the CPI(M) and Party institutions.

Universities and CDS like institutions may have to receive foreign funds from foreign universities or institutions. But it is the duty of the institutions concerned to make sure that these funds are not from dubious sources. If it comes to notice that any of these institutions have received funds from any dubious sources, the Party will expose and oppose it.

Due to the policies pursued by the central government, which leads to a resource crunch, the state governments are forced to take funds from international financial institutions and foreign governments. The state governments should not accept  such funds which have stipulations for pursuing anti-people policies  and conditionalities such as structural adjustment policies under globalisation. The state committee rejects such criticisms that the previous LDF government had accepted any such funds. Whenever the governments led by the Party have to decide on it, the party members working in the government should discuss it within party and take appropriate decisions. The  Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) of Thrissur has    accepted Swiss government funds worth Rs 10.5 crore with the knowledge of the state government and planning board for the conduct of training programme for local self-governments. The state committee after considering the available facts does not consider that any thing irregular has happened with this assistance. But the act of not raising it in the Party fora and arriving at a considered opinion has created confusion. Any such issue of foreign assistance should be discussed within the Party before hand.

Party institutions and mass organisations, which have Party members, should not    accept any such foreign funds. Although it can be technically argued that Kerala Sastra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) has received funds from a project of the CDS which is Dutch funded, this issue has neither been brought to the notice of the Party by the members who are working in KSSP nor they have objected it within KSSP. This also has led to confusion. The  Party guideline of 1995, accepted by the central committee, regarding this should be followed by all Party members working in mass organisations. The Party members working in the mass organisations should oppose all foreign funds.

The Party state committee has decided to conduct serious ideological struggle against these criticisms and deviations. The Party is facing an ideological offensive from both Left sectarianism and reformism. But at the same time the efforts of a few among media to characterise the CPI(M) as a divided house     between reformists and conservatives is part of the conscious effort to defame the Party. For sure, the Party members and sympathisers would reject such propositions with the contempt they deserve. The Party should fight both these deviations by sticking to its proclaimed stance. The Party’s understanding on democratic decentralisation and people’s plan should be explained and defended. Two wrong standpoints  have come up in this issue. The first is that democratic decentralisation and people’s plan are World Bank designed and devoid of class and political content. The second view is that democratic decentralisation is the real  solution  to globalisation. The Party rejects both these standpoints. Parameswaran’s proposition that participatory democracy is the ideal, is different from the people’s plan programme accepted by the Party. The state committee   asserts  that the erroneous ideas that socialism is not the alternative and an utopian fourth world is to be built has nothing to do with Marxist-Leninist outlook. The Party should be on guard  against anti-Marxist ideas surfacing in the Party in the  garb of  partyless participatory democracy. The state committee gives the call for an ideological struggle in defense of Marxism-Leninism and to   defend its creative application. The state committee believes that Party members and sympathisers will unitedly carry out these tasks.