​Long march ahead: on the CPI(M) congress

In a world where the idea of state control of all economic activities is passé, and in a country where class differences have been overtaken by caste segmentations as entrenched identity markers, it is not a surprise that a party like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has faced erosion in its support base and has struggled to retain a national presence. The refrain in the party’s resolutions after the end of its 24th congress suggest that it is aware of its inability to garner adherents to its ideological cause. But it is also cognisant of the opportunities available to build a coherent narrative against the entrenchment of right-wing thought and ideology in a polity dominated by the BJP. By articulating a strong position on issues related to federalism, civil liberties, gender rights, social justice, communal harmony, and collective action, and arguing against concentration of resources and wealth among a tiny elite, the party seeks to stay relevant as an anchor of a distinct ideological pole. What the party has been unable to do is to convert opportunities into steadfast action. It has elected a new general secretary, M.A. Baby, a long-time politburo member and leader from Kerala. Perhaps this transition from an earlier leadership that cut its teeth in student politics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and provided ideological mettle to the party but lacked direct experience in mass and electoral politics, will help it. However, this requires fresh agency.

Mr. Baby will face a Herculean task in reviving the party’s electoral fortunes. The only government that it leads today, the Left Democratic Front in Kerala, faces anti-incumbency as elections are due next year. In other erstwhile strongholds, West Bengal and Tripura, it has faced a dramatic decline and has not shown any urgency in reviving its lost fortunes. The CPI(M) today realises the need for an independent mobilisation that asserts its principles and ideology while not ruling out electoral alliances to take on the hegemonic BJP. Its fleeting electoral success elsewhere in the country has been made possible through a combination of progressive agitations and deft alliances with parties such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu and the Congress in Rajasthan. Yet, to attract more support for its ideological positions, the party must also adapt to present-day realities in a manner that differentiates it from other legatees of the global communist streams. It must shed the historical baggage of authoritarianism and flawed economic programmes that characterised a few of these streams, so as to make its agenda appealing to progressive-minded people who want to alter the status quo.