CPI (M) turns 50: Is AAP replacing the sleeping giant?

It was on April 11, 1964, just 50 years back, about 32 members from the National Council of the Communist Party of India moved out of the rightist fold of the CPI to lay down foundation of pro-China party, and carved out a separate alcove for themselves, that was not only anti-CPI values, which was more rightist or pro-Russian and allegedly pro-Nehru’s socialism, but also more compassionate towards the Marxist cause.

CPI (Marxist) was thus formed, and credo with tremendous left-inclination arrived on the state scene. Many instances followed with time, including jailing of its leaders for being supportive of China during Indo-China war of 1962, which India lost badly. Ever since, the party has witnessed an assortment of ups and downs, through the years in Indian history.

CPI (M) kept floating, tasting power and success in West Bengal for thirty long years and earning control over reigns in Kerala too, during the course.

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Although, it can’t be claimed that the party got engrossed in extreme nepotism and crony capitalism in its long stretched tenure; it did became blind towards modernizing its cadre and principles as altering times demanded.

Nonetheless, now, the party seems to be slipping back into stupor - being seen as a unit with old-fashioned and archaic principles and infertile leaders who are totally out of touch with the ground realities.

With a moderately small share of MP’s (16) in Lok Sabha and (11) in Rajya Sabha presently, the party can hardly boat about its ascendancy in the national politics.

It may speak occasionally but only in the states where it’s survived over the years. Rest all over; the country is dead as a dodo. The party is nothing but retreated from all parts of the country literally in the last decade or such.

With all major national political parties adopting restructuring in their core ideologies; the latest is Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) doing away with its hard core Hindutva supporter image to appeal to larger voting population, CPI (M) seems unaffected and inflexible to the fresh needs of change.

With development seen as the foremost agenda for all the political parties, leaders from the CPI (M) are content playing ‘agitators’ and hard core ‘leftists’.

The dent in its popularity in Bengal and Kerala proves there is a burning want to amend its populist policies and take the aspirations of considerably huge set of young voter population on their face value.

Moreover, with advent of social activist Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party on the national scene, the path is only getting tougher and slippery, as his party can be described better and much apposite translation to assure for “Leftist politics” in the current run.

No longer has the unsullied voter aspired to vote for a party that can put the issue of industrial development to ruins with their “disrupting ideology.”

When most of the political funding for the parties is routed through profits of industrialists, it’s more than foolish to keep whistling the same old tunes.

AAP turns up as a precise version which can fill the void left over by the communist parties in a much better way, especially considering their cadre base, which is far younger, development seeking, and pro anti-corruption principle.

Nevertheless, even AAPians are not disinclined to “disruptive politics” as can be made out from their ever so often staged dharnas, even if they are in power.

But, that’s the basic ingredient to play the cards in the pure Leftist ways. India is still a poor country and labour laws are more anti-worker. Thus, there resides huge legroom for “Left to Leftist” political parties still to have a say on the national scene.