The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala is facing a profound internal crisis, with a highly self-critical organisational report warning of a steep decline in the political and ideological standards of its members. The report, presented by the state secretary at the broad state committee meeting in Kozhikode, cautions that the party must urgently address these issues to regain the trust of the public.

The document points to a widening chasm between the party and the masses, noting that a substantial section of the cadre has become inactive. Many members are reportedly refusing to even attend committee meetings or general body sessions. Furthermore, the report admits that ten years of being in power has blunted the edge of the party's feeder organisations. It serves as a stark warning: if the leadership hesitates to rebuild its organizational strength and correct its mistakes, the public will increasingly abandon the party.

A generation of untested cadres
According to the report, a massive 88.55% of the current party membership in Kerala joined after the collapse of the socialist system in the Soviet Union. Even more striking is that 54.82% of the members were recruited during the decade of Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule since 2016. The report highlights that a majority of these newer members lack the capability to communicate the party’s political vision to the public. Additionally, most of them show a distinct reluctance to listen to the grievances of ordinary citizens.

Widening gaps and voter shift
This disconnect is not just external; the report details a growing distance between the party leadership and grassroots members. This internal alienation is cited as the primary reason why a section of traditional working-class and agrarian voters drifted away from the CPM in the recent elections. Furthermore, the leadership’s hope of winning over the middle class solely by showcasing development initiatives has failed to materialise, the document notes.

Three-day state committee meet begins
The three-day CPM broad state committee meeting was inaugurated by senior party leader MA Baby. A total of 307 delegates, including state committee members, district secretariat members, and representatives of various feeder organisations, are participating in the high-level meeting to discuss the report and outline corrective measures.