Kannur: The open tussle between the CPM and CPI over the flow of cadres from the former to the latter in Thaliparamba here has taken an ugly turn with the LDF allies deciding to organise the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) local-level family meetings separately.
Trouble has been brewing in the Left front ever since nearly 100 CPM workers joined CPI in Thaliparamba over the past few years. As the area is considered a stronghold of the CPM, the exodus has become a matter of prestige for the party, which is in crisis mode to prevent the closing down of cadres.
The latest development comes after the CPM allegedly avoided CPI leaders and workers from the family meeting to be held under the aegis of LDF. CPM state secretary and Thaliparamba MLA M V Govindan will inaugurate the family meeting in Keezhattur at 4 pm on Tuesday. The event is being organised by the CPM Thaliparamaba local committee.
Responding to the issue, Govindan said the LDF is the organiser of family meets and not just the CPM. "If there is any issue anywhere related to the programmes, it will be examined," he said. He also said CPI has the right to organise family meetings separately.
Accusing the CPM of showing an autocratic attitude, the CPI Thaliparamba local committee has decided to organise an alternative family meeting at Manthamkundil on October 18 to outdo the CPM's programme. CPI state committee member C P Murali will be inaugurating the event.
"The LDF leadership decided to hold family meets as a joint event to reach out to the people to promote the state government's development schemes. However, the Thaliparamba local committee of CPM has made the programme a party event without inviting any other LDF allies. CPI leaders or workers have not been informed about the programme. In a deliberate attempt to keep the CPI away from the event, they (CPM) have not even formed an organising committee," alleged CPI district council member Komath Muraleedharan, a rebel CPM leader who joined CPI recently.
"We will not tolerate such an autocratic attitude. Hence, we have decided to organise a separate event to interact with the people," he added.
The CPM rolled out a massive campaign to promote the event and even put up flex boards and posters across the region. However, the majority of the campaign saw the event being promoted as a CPM programme and not of the Left front. This triggered widespread protests among CPI workers.
Meanwhile, CPM Thaliparamba North local committee secretary Pullayikodi Chandran said the programme was initially planned as a CPM event and later rescheduled as an LDF programme. That is why LDF was not mentioned in the notices or flex boards. He also said the CPI Thaliparamba mandalam committee secretary has been invited to the event.
The units of both communist parties in the region have been at loggerheads ever since Komatha Muraleedharan, who was an influential local leader of CPM, joined CPI along with 57 supporters, of whom 21 were CPM party members. He had created a stir in the CPM when he walked out of the party's area committee conference.
Recently, a foot march conducted by the CPI Thaliparamba local committee came under attack by CPM workers. The foot march was conducted in connection with CPI's nationwide campaign against the Modi government. The CPM cadres also disrupted a public meeting of CPI, threatening them against organising a programme at Kanikkunnu in Thaliparamba, which is a CPM citadel.
The CPM workers' agitation is mainly against Komatha Muraleedharan. They won't allow him to participate in any party activities in the region.
After the mass exit of party workers, the CPM organised a massive public meeting on December 5, 2022. CPM senior leaders like M V Govindan, E P Jayarajan, M V Jayarajan, P K Shyamala and James Mathew attended the meeting. Party district secretary M V Jayarajan had announced that the party will bring back all those who left CPM. A team of 12 senior leaders even visited the houses of those who jumped ship to the CPI and tried to persuade them to come back, but in vain. Meanwhile, CPI formed two new branch committees comprising the newly joined party members.