Hindu Vivek Kendra
A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA
   
 
 
«« Back
HVK Archives: Politics of caste is fast eroding Left base, admits CPM

Politics of caste is fast eroding Left base, admits CPM - The Times of India

Bhaskar Roy ()
19 October 1996

Title : Politics of caste is fact eroding Left base,
admits the CPM
Author : Bhaskar Roy
Publication : The Times of India
Date : October 19, 1996

In a remarkably frank assessment of its strength, the CPM
has admitted that the advent of caste politics has deeply
eroded its base and even threatened the relevance of its
ideology of class struggle.

In a review of the party's performance in the recent
general elections, the CPM central committee has ex-
pressed serious concern over the "growth of caste con-
sciousness within the party ranks at different levels and
erosion of the class base of the Left."

The review, based on reports by the party's state units,
mentions there is a danger of the CPM gradually becoming
an appendage of its `bourgeois' allies and forfeiting its
independence. "The capacity of the party to take up
issues independently and to wage militant struggles have
been giving way to general campaigns and reliance on
electoral tactics...the methods utilised by the bourgeois
allies such as caste mobilisation, populist slogans
devoid of class content and the tendency to tail behind
the slogans of the dominant bourgeois partners is becom-
ing increasingly manifest."

In such a situation, the review admits, "neither the
party's independent strength nor its electoral influence
(can) grow and the tendency to tail behind the bourgeois
parties ends up strengthening them and not the party and
the Left forces."

The central committee has attributed the alienation of a
section of the electorate from the party in West Bengal
to "factors such as corruption, difficulties in the
health, education and rural electrification departments,
flouting of guidelines on the functioning of local bodies
and so on."

The party has admitted that a section of the urban middle
class, educated youth, Muslims and industrial workers who
had traditionally voted for the CPM switched their alle-
giance in the June elections in the state.

"We must investigate why there was some erosion of sup-
port among the Muslim masses in some places, particularly
in the urban areas," the review said, indirectly pointing
to the lapses of the government that had been ruling the
state for the past 20 years.

In Kerala, where the party has swept back to power fol-
lowing the recent assembly elections, the CPM-led Left
Democratic Front polled only 1,68,690 votes (1.15 per
cent) more than the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
"We have not been able to make any substantial headway in
winning over the masses," the review said.

In points out that the LDF polled only 34,172 votes more
compared to 1991.



Back                          Top

«« Back
 
 
 
  Search Articles
 
  Special Annoucements