CPM’s committee raps Bengal Govt

“Save Democracy”. “Reinforce links with the poor”.

These are slogans the Communist Party of India’s (Marxist) central committee (CC), the party’s highest decision making body, has come up with for its West Bengal comrades.

After the humiliation in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Marxists in its 29-page final review have also admitted to decadence, malpractice, bureaucratic trends and arrogance in the rank.

While reviewing the results in Kerala, where the Left Democratic Front won only four out of 18 seats, the CC has largely blamed Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan. He has been accused of making statements “that had an adverse effect (on the electorate)...”.

His adversary Pinayari Vijayan — accused in the SNC Lavalin case—has, however, found full support from the party. Though the CC has held infighting responsible for the debacle in Kerala, curiously the Catholic Church has been accused of campaigning against the CPI-M for the latter’s opposition to the Education Act.

It has also admitted that getting support from Abdul Hasan Madani's PDP Party had helped the UDF question the party’s secular credentials.

The CC also spoken out on its own leadership and governments. “Even after specifically identifying the weakness of maintaining regular links with the people… there was no improvement...”said the report on Bengal. Even West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattachrjee and state secretary Biman Bose were not spared.

“Alien trends exist in the organisation at different levels. There is continuing lack of firmness in dealing with those elements who have degenerated…”, the CC report has said.