Communism in Kerala terrain has always been a different ball game even when electing a communist government through democratic means. The ideology and ism of all communist greats are there to a large extent but raison d'être for the augmentation of party in the state should go to the early communist leaders. The persona of those leaders, fascinated all class of people from peasants to intellectuals. Presently the most endangered species in Kerala.
The organizational structure and ability to analysis major issues after careful revision was one of the focal factors that the party stood high above the other echoers in the early days. A world of information was readily available among the well read and vastly travelled leaders willing to discuss and debate. Life ironed out in struggle for their cause was never acquisitive in nature, qualities that the intellectual Keralite took to the heart and nurtured as communism.
The good governance of the leftist governments, stand against corruption and down to earth life style of leadrs made the value soaring high. A force to reckon with, in plugging communal ideologies flourishing in the state , earned loads of party sympathizers, the main contibution for electoral success. Even then the clout that kept through contradictory ideologies to appease the comrades and sympathizers alike made it look like a party of hidden agendas. Unwillingness of sympathizers to enroll as party members owing to their spiritual nature had been a detractor for the rapid growth of this ideology.
The change of guard in party leadership brought sweeping changes. The leaders who came to the fore through the SFI revolution, spending large amount of their life in the street destroying public properties has nothing much to offer for the party sympathizers. Expectations on the strong contingents turned out in SFI street strikes to become party members were a futile thought. For many SFI was a platform for their misadventures irrespective of their ideological beliefs. The new generation leaders managed to dominate the entire party system but always faltered at the final hurdle. Even then, more than life personalities of few veteran leaders ensured that the party going strong in the face of all troubles.
Innovation of young guns saw party departing from co-operative and public enterprise structure and entering capitalist structure on business of profits. Meantime desperate to widen the voter base attempts were made to compromise with long time foes, only to be defused by pre emptied strike of a veteran communist. The decisive blow came when the comrades and people of Kerala forced the party to rework its decision of not to field his veteran leader in the 2006 assembly elections and rest is history.
The Parliament elections of 2009 saw further depletion on long standing policies, joining elements of communal factors and state secretary named in corruption scandal by India’s premier investigation agency, added to the misery. The handling of educational policies and the public confrontation with communities who plays an active role in the educational sector made more enemies than expected. The interference in such matters by all cadres without a coordinated effort exposed the indiscipline rooting in the party.
The national leadership, the weakest link in the whole party infrastructure is wrestling to infuse some life into the party system. Rubbing salt to the wounds INC became more organized and disciplined and managed up to an extent in positioning themselves as saviors of the down trodden.
Since the question of god saving the party doesn’t arise, the leaders have to set aside their egos and personal agendas and come forward to walk in the path of the great leaders of yester years realizing Kerala needs a stronger party.
