Charting the future course of the party, the CPM Kannur district conference excluded all leaders aged above 75 - without any exception - from the district committee, a first in the history of the organisation.
The conference, which elected 61-year-old M V Jayarajan as the district secretary, included several new faces in the committee.
The Kannur district conference's decision hinted that the State conference, too, would toe its line on leaders aged above 75. The party has decided against including those aged above 75 in district, State and central committees.
State committee members dropped
The 2021 Kannur conference also scripted yet another history by excluding all State committee members from the district committee. Former district secretary and State committee member P Jayarajan, and another State committee member A N Shamsheer were excluded from the district committee.
The party had earlier dropped other State committee members from the district committee. State committee members, however, could attend the meetings of the district secretariat and district committee.
First woman in district secretariat
In yet another first, the district conference included a woman, N Sukanya, in the 12-member district secretariat. The conference, which concluded on Sunday, also elected a 50-member district committee.
Noticeably, the CPM meet in Kannur elected the secretariat members, giving adequate representation to women, backward classes, Dalit and youth. Normally, secretariat members were selected after the district conference.
The conference gave its approval to M V Jayarajan to continue as the district secretary. He had been holding the charge of the secretary after ex-MLA P Jayarajan, also the former private secretary to Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan, vacated the secretary's office to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
Leaders dropped
Besides P Jayarajan and A N Shamsheer, P Balan, O V Narayanan, Vayakkadi Balakrishnan, K Bhaskaran, T Krishnan, Patyam Rajan, Arakkan Balan, P P Damodaran, K M Joseph, K K Narayanan, Biju Kandakkai and K N Govindan were dropped from the district committee.
District committee
The conference included 11 new faces in the district committee. They are: K Sasidharan (Pinarayi), K Padmanabhan (Madayi), K Baburaj (Anjarakandy), M Rajan (Peravoor), M K Murali (Edakkad), P Sasidharan (Peringome), Manu Thomas (district president, DYFI), K E Kunhabdulla (Panur), P Shabnam (Democratic Women's Association) K Mohanan (district secretary, Adivasi Kshema Samithi), and K C Harikrishnan (Mayyil).
District secretariat members
The following leaders were drafted into the district secretariat: M V Jayarajan, M Prakashan, M Surendran, N Chandran, Panoli Valsan, Karayi Rajan, T I Madhusoodan, T K Govindan, P V Gopinath, P Hareendran, P Purushothaman and N Sukanya.
House Committees to be formed
Notably, the district conference decided to form House Committees to monitor and maintain daily contact with each residence in Kannur. Committees will be formed under each party member, and each panel will be assigned the responsibility of 10 houses.
Besides the party member, the team will have two to three people as its members, and the team members will be in daily contact with the houses assigned to them. The decision to form House Committees was made to bring households closer to the party.
The CPM had already taken a count of the houses and party members in the district. According to the count, each member will have to be assigned, on an average, the responsibility of 10 residences. In 10 areas, each party member will have the responsibility of less than 10 houses, and in eight other areas, each member will be assigned the responsibility of 11 to 18 houses.
The move is aimed at bringing people closer to the party, and thereby ensure continuity in power. It is believed that the Congress setting up Unit Committees at the grassroots level prompted the CPM to form House Committees.
Meeting schedule
The district convention has decided that branch committees in Kannur should meet three times a month, and an area committee member should attend at least one of the meetings. District committee members should attend local committee meetings at least once in six months.
Training in trauma care for red volunteers
Another notable decision was to train red volunteers in trauma care and rescue operations to get active in humanitarian activities. Currently, red volunteers' duties are confined to supporting party events, and to hold rallies. The responsibility of training them will be taken up by the district committee. Party classes will be held to impart political education to branch secretaries and party members and sympathisers.
Women's issues take a backseat
The convention accepted the criticism that the CPM has been failing in taking up women's issues, though more women were becoming party members. The convention demanded the government to provide pensions for housewives. The party leadership expressed belief that such a pension scheme would attract more women to the party.
Women comprise 20 per cent of the total party members in the district. As many as 167 branches have women as their secretaries. Women are also at the helm of two local committees.
Still, 122 branches in the district do not have even a single woman member, delegates pointed out, and criticised the leadership for not making adequate effort to bring in women into the party.
The convention accepted a suggestion to ensure women representation in those branches without women members before checking the membership the next time. The delegates also demanded the party's strong intervention in women's issues, especially since there has been an increase in atrocities against women.
Party ignoring hilly regions
The party was also criticised for ignoring the hilly regions. The functioning of the Malayora Vikasana Samithi has not been effective. It was also alleged that though the CPM had formed the Samithi, the party later did not give enough attention to it. Some delegates suggested developing the Samithi based on the Initiative for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care (IRPC) model of functioning.
Established in 2012, CPM-backed IRPC has taken up several initiatives, including caring for the chronically ill and geriatric patients at their respective homes.
Focus on minority colonies
Delegates also demanded the party to focus on areas with significant adivasi and minority community population. The party should attract more cadres from such areas. Additionally, CPM should develop party-friendly groups in such colonies.
Organisation for homoeo doctors
Though the party has formed organisations for Allopathy and Ayurveda physicians and IT professionals, the functioning of such outfits have been unsatisfactory. The conference decided to strengthen such organisations. The meet also decided to consider floating an outfit for homoeo practitioners.
Police under fire
The police department, too, came in for criticism at the conference attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the Home portfolio. Though the police have been toeing the government policy, certain police officers had tarnished the image of the force and of the government. Delegates demanded that neither the party nor the government should justify the actions of such officers.
Address organisational failure
Another demand raised at the conference was regarding the party's defeat in some 'sure' local bodies, and Assembly constituencies such as Irikkoor and Peravoor. Delegates demanded the party to address the organisational failure that had led to the defeat.
An action plan should be drawn up and implemented in Kannur Corporation, Kadamboor panchayat and Sreekandapuram municipality. It was also demanded that the party should work towards winning Irikkoor and Peravoor Assembly segments.
As many as 49 delegates representing various area committees participated in the debate that went on for five-and-a-half hours. District secretary M V Jayarajan and State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan replied to criticisms raised based on the working report.
Jayarajan said the party has grasped the creative suggestions the delegates had made. The decision to strengthen the party and widen its base was made based on the suggestions, he added.
CM speaks of responsibility, trust
Addressing the delegates after the inaugural session, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the LDF's consecutive second term in power has placed a heavy responsibility on the party. He stressed on the need for maintaining the people's trust in the party, and each member should work accordingly.
Vijayan spoke of the responsibility and people's trust after the news reporters had left the venue.
The party members should not forget that the government has been working steadfastly for justice, the Chief Minister said. The party should intervene after understanding the people's demands and issues.
Learn from Bengal, Tripura
Those unelected should not interfere in government matters, and party workers should refrain from any action that would cause discontent among the people. Issues should be brought to the notice of the party, and workers should shun being authoritative.
Vijayan also urged the delegates to learn from the party's experience in West Bengal and Tripura.
Pinarayi refutes charges against government
A few delegates pointed out that the second Pinarayi government does not have the same pace as of the previous one. Refuting, the Chief Minister said that the previous government, too, had been slow during its initial days. Once the ministers get familiarised with files, the governance will gain pace.
He justified drafting new faces into the cabinet, saying they have enough experience in the public sphere.
Responding to the criticism against police, Vijayan said the force always had personnel with conflicting attitudes. He assured the delegates that the government will not protect the corrupt and anti-people elements.
The district committee conference was held ahead of CPM's 23rd Party Congress slated for April 2022 in Kannur.
