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CPI-M now open to coalition at the Centre

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) remains a divided house on the crucial decision to lift the 36-year old bar on joining a government at the Centre as a large number of delegates to the party's ongoing special conference at Trivandrum opposed the move even as the party incorporated an amendment to that effect.

After four years of intense debate and discussion, the party's special conclave had incorporated the crucial proposition along with nearly 5,000 amendments to the more than 36-year-old party programme.

The amendment reads: "The participation in governments applies to both state and central governments and the decision is to be taken depending on the concrete situation."

Opponents to the proposal insisted that the party should not hastily amend its programme. In 1996, the CPI-M had lost a rare chance to lead the government at the Centre because the party programme did not have a provision allowing it to join or lead a coalition at the Centre.

Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told rediff.com that there has been a broad acceptance of the updated party programme. "The fact that 5725 amendments were received on the draft programme shows the intense debate within the party on a host of issues," he said.

However, Yechury admitted that the controversial amendment to lift the bar on participating in a central government has been opposed by some party delegates. "We consider the disagreement on the proposition as the finest example of inner party democracy in the CPI-M," the politburo member claimed.

However, sources said a large number of party delegates, especially from West Bengal and Kerala sternly opposed the provision arguing that the CPI-M will degenerate, like the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, playing politics for power.

Party sources said that while 47 delegates from Kerala CPI-M unit supported the amendment, 40 members vociferously opposed it.

Delegates from West Bengal were also divided on the question of participation in governments at the Centre. However, since the opponents were not in large numbers they did not pose any problem.

Majority support for the proposal is to be seen in the context of the 1998 Calcutta Party Congress, when a large number of delegates opposed the view that the decision to join the 1996 United Front government was a historical blunder.

Despite stiff resistance, the party leadership has managed to add the amendment to the party programme. "The majority were in favour of the pro-participation line. There was no tussle on the issue," Gautam Deb, CPI-M leader from West Bengal told rediff.com.

However, dissidents alleged that many delegates agreed to the amendment 'fearing an uncertain future for the party'.

"We have been told to believe that the party will not have any future if it does not join a coalition government at the Centre. We have lost our ideology in the name of power and politics," a dissident said.

"The fact that there has been tremendous opposition to the move makes it clear that the party cadre is not happy with the decision to share power at the Centre. How it will affect our party's future remains to be seen," a senior leader pointed out.

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Dissent surfaces at Marxists' meeting

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