CPI leader Binoy Viswam: Communist unity doesn't mean merger

Communist parties in India need greater unity in the present political context, but describing such unity as a 'merger' would be misleading, according to Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Binoy Viswam. Speaking at a meeting in Thrissur on Sunday, Mr. Viswam clarified that his call for unity should not be interpreted as a proposal for organisational amalgamation.

'Merger is a clichéd term. When we speak of unity among communist parties, it should not automatically be interpreted as a call for merger,' Mr. Viswam said while inaugurating a meeting organised by the CPI Thrissur district council in memory of former Kerala Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon.

Mr. Viswam highlighted the legacy of Achutha Menon, who led Kerala from 1969 to 1977, saying his government provided clear direction to successive Left governments in the state. He questioned why there was reluctance to recognise the Achutha Menon government as a Left government, given its role in shaping progressive policies in Kerala.

The CPI leader also linked the current LIFE Mission housing project to the Laksham Veedu scheme conceived by former CPI leader M.N. Govindan Nair. He criticised a reported suggestion that pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be displayed in front of houses built under the LIFE Mission, calling it a petty move. 'Is there anything more petty than asking people to put up Modi's picture in front of houses provided under the LIFE Mission?' he asked.

In remarks aimed at Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, Mr. Viswam said the Congress leader's claim to follow the Nehruvian socialist tradition was contradicted by his actions. He alleged that attempts were being made to take Kerala along the path of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He further alleged that an 'undeclared Emergency' was prevailing in Kerala, drawing a parallel with the political approach of the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah government at the Centre.

On the ongoing political positioning within the Left Democratic Front (LDF), Mr. Viswam reiterated that the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition was due to the CPI and said there was no change in the party's position. 'This is not merely a claim. Positions in the LDF are not the exclusive right of any one party,' he said.

Mr. Viswam noted that the CPI had a history of acknowledging and correcting its mistakes, including those committed during the Emergency. He also said the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), had corrected its own mistakes. He affirmed that the CPI would continue to work towards strengthening Left unity and would never allow anything to undermine the unity of the LDF.

The meeting was presided over by CPI district secretary K.G. Sivanandan. Former director of the Kerala Bhasha Institute V. Karthikeyan Nair delivered the memorial lecture, and CPI State secretariat member and MLA K. Rajan distributed endowments.

The event served as a platform for the CPI to reaffirm its ideological positions and its commitment to Left unity, while also paying tribute to one of Kerala's most influential political figures.