781 We should appreciate the courage of Ms. Jagmati Sanwar in resisting CPM Central Committee

This is in continuation of our blogpost No. 758 dated 21st May 2016, wherein we have discussed some of the problems ailing the CPIM (Communist Party of India, Marxist). The title of the blogpost is: 758 CPIM is continuing the same disastrous and undemocratic practices of Congress and BJP ! Lacks internal democracy. For those who wish to study this blogpost: Click to go to 758 . Now, at least one courageous person in the CPIM Central Committee, Ms. Jagmati Sanwar, General Secretary of AIDWA has come out openly against the manner in which the CPIM Central Committee was violating its own Party-line of not having any truck with Congress, by forging alliances with Congress, in West Bengal. The debacle of CPM in the 2016 Bengal Assembly Elections, has sufficiently proved that unhealthy alliances with borgeoisie parties in the name of preventing /displacing some other bourgeoisie party do not pay. It appears that the Central Committee Members from Bengal have opposed the use of the word "violating" party-line in the Resolution of postmortem of losing the Elections in Bengal, and threatened to resign.

Here is a newsreport dated the 25th June 2016 from ndtv.com, which summarises what seems to have happened in CPIM Central Committee Meeting, and the circumstances which seem to have led to resignation of Ms. Jagmati from the Central Committee (according to her: resignation) and expulsion of Ms. Jagmati from the Central Committee (according to Party: expulsion for gross indiscipline).

Here is an Indian Express Report which informs what seems to have happened at the said Central Committee Meeting. Click to look at IndianExpress

Considering my resignation was in my opinion a step to strengthen the party, there is no question now of trying to weaken the party or any mass organisation. My decision was an entirely political decision and to interpret it as some kind of personal rivalry is absolutely wrong

This meeting started on June 18. And on the 18th the note presented by the politburo… it had this term that it was a violation of the political tactical line by the Bengal committee. And a huge majority said it was a violation... ... But today, when it concluded on the basis of the discussion… they said we will be deleting this violation word because Bengal secretary Surjya Kanta Misra and senior leaders like Bimanda [Bose] said we (they) will resign if you (cpm) keep this term. Even the general secretary [Sitaram Yechury] was against it. I said no, it is not acceptable, at least to me. I said I resign from the central committee and party membership and I walked out,

"...Considering my resignation was in my opinion a step to strengthen the party, there is no question now of trying to weaken the party or any mass organisation. My decision was an entirely political decision and to interpret it as some kind of personal rivalry is absolutely wrong . ..."

"... This meeting started on June 18. And on the 18th the note presented by the politburo… it had this term that it was a violation of the political tactical line by the Bengal committee. And a huge majority said it was a violation... ... But today, when it concluded on the basis of the discussion… they said we will be deleting this violation word because Bengal secretary Surjya Kanta Misra and senior leaders like Bimanda [Bose] said we (they) will resign if you (cpm) keep this term. Even the general secretary [Sitaram Yechury] was against it. I said no, it is not acceptable, at least to me. I said I resign from the central committee and party membership and I walked out. ..."

ybrao-a-donkey's humble comments. वैबीराव एक गधे के विनम्र राय . వైబీరావ్ గాడిద వినమ్ర వాణి. You have every right to differ with me. I respect your right. आपको मेरे मत से भिन्न राय रखने के संपूर्ण हक है। मै उस अधिकार को परिपूर्ण रूप से गौरव देता हुँ. మీకు, మీ భిన్నమైన అభిప్రాయాన్ని కలిగిఉండే సంపూర్ణ హక్కు ఉంది. దానిని ఎంతో నేను గౌరవిస్తాను. However, pl. examine this donkey's views also. परन्तु एस गधे के दृष्टिकोण को भी अनुशीलन कीजिये. కానీ ఈ గాడిద దృష్టికోణాన్ని కూడ ఓర చూపుతో కంటజూడుమీ, క్రీగంట జూడమీ.

Ms. Jagmati Sangwan has taken a courageous decision.

She need not worry about weakening Communist or Socialist Movements in India.

She can try to promote a new Communist / Socialist / Democratic Socialist Party in India, which should include not only women, but also men.

Just as there are large number of bourgeoisie political parties in India, we can have large number of Communist / Socialist / Democratic Socialist Parties. I do not support the idea of unification of Communist Parties or having only one or two Communist Parties. Such step will only lead to monopolies and oligopolies in socialist arena.

In fact, totalitarianism is the bane of Communism, worldwide. At least in India, let us make a beginning of working against and dispelling the general impression of Communism / Socialism / Marxism involves dictatorships and totalitarianism.

CPIM seems to be suffering from loss of geographical spread. It sems to be excessively depending on its West Bengal and Kerala Units. For the time being it may be strong in West Bengal and Kerala. But CPIM Central Leadership should not forget that theirs is an All India Party, with defined set of principles. Opportunism and Regionalism cannot have places and prominence in the principles and party-lines. At any cost, inner party democracy cannot be sacrificed, in the name of gross indiscipline. One tool for deriving benefits from inner party democracy is through use of secret ballots at every level, where everything will be put to test through secret ballots, with a clear understanding that loss of something in ballot is not an end in itself, and after sometime, another attempt can be made.

PROBLEMS OF RELIANCE ON ONE OR TWO STATES

Mr. Jayaprakash Narayan, a Retd. I.A.S. Officer had started a Party by name Lok Satta. As JPN is from erstwhile United Andhra Pradesh, it had a good base in defunct United A.P.

Later, he wanted to convert Lok Satta into an All India Party, with Office at Delhi. Mr. JPN seems to have had some dreams of developing his party on the lines of A.A.P.

A.A.P (Aam Admi Party) too have dreams of emerging as an All India Party. But its base is only in Delhi and Punjab.

Already there are divisions and splits in A.A.P., culminating in expulsion of Yogendra Yadav, Prashanti Bhushan et al. Now, AAP (Kejriwal) is still continuing with its dreams. If Mr. Kejriwal inserts more South Indian leaders into AAP Central Committee, there is always a danger of revolt from Delhi and Punjab leaders, whose sweat the successes of AAP in Delhi and Punjab, which Mr. Kejriwal enjoys.

Back to Lok Satta, one gets an impression that Shri JPN wanted to give a greater role to his Delhi Associates, which seems to have been resisted by the A.P. Lok Satta Leaders. It appears that Mr. JPN wanted to have his say as founder of the party. Somehow, things did not workout, and the party seems to have been shelved or inactive.

ONE SOLUTION

It will be better if parties in India are organised NOT ON THE BASIS OF GEOGRAPHICAL UNITS, but ON THE BASIS OF DIFFERENT CLASSES OF PROLETARIAT such as farm workers, fishermen, rural artisans, metal workers, shop clerks, street vendors, construction workers, etc. etc. The different classes can be made of equal representation, size, by expert studies of various occupations and profession in India.

At grassroot level, units need not be organised in the traditional mode of village units, ward level units, or polling booth level units. Parties can take every group of 10 members of the same occupation/profession as one grassroot unit, and its leader can be called "daSamukh". A leader of ten such groups can be called "Satamukh". Ten Satamukhs can make a Sahasramukh. Thus leaderships and structures have to rise from bottom to the top, through a system of secret ballots.

NOT EASY TO START AND RUN NEW POLITICAL PARTIES IN INDIA

It is not easy to start and run new political parties in India, both bourgeoisie and Socialist. While the bourgeoisie parties may do anything they like because they need not worry about ethics, Socialist Parties have to explore ways and means of organising parties without COSTS. CPIM has recently organised a motorcycle rally in Vijayawada. Who will pay the cost of petrol? Party workers participating in such rallies will lose one day wages, they have to bear the cost of petrol, they have to neglect their families. For its Meeting at Vijayawada, CPIM might have collected funds from somebody or other without verifying their source of income. For example, there is an allegation against CPI that it collected donations from Liquor Contractors in Khammam District for organising its Meeting there.

Workers and Proletarian Parties have greater ethical responsibilities when compared to Mainline parties.

To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.

758 CPIM is continuing the same disastrous and undemocratic practices of Congress and BJP ! Lacks internal democracy.

This is in continuation of our blog post No. 757 Click if you wish to study 757. The selection of Mr. Pinnarayi Vijayan as Kerala's Chief Minister, treating the elected Kerala CPIM and LDF MLAs as dumb goats, by the duo of MR. PRAKASH KARAT and MR. SITARAM YECHURY, only shows that CPIM Party lacks INTERNAL DEMOCRACY. Though theoretically, the LDF MLAs may be electing their Legislature Party Leader unanimously, in reality who will defy the decision of the Central Leadership of the Party? Who will come OPENLY forward to contest as Leader of the Legislature Party? Correct democratic process ought to have been, to conduct a secret ballot, after inviting written nominations from the M.L.As. There will be no use of showering praises on a 92 year old leader Achyutanandan, after dumping him into a dustbin. I do not wish to say that Senior Leaders should continue as Chief Ministers till their death. But, they should not be denied an opportunity to contest for Leadership, by Central Leadership throwing their weight behind some X or Y. Central Leadership should function as neutral, and facilitative Management, rather than authoritarian and intruding.

QUESTION: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE PRESENT PROCESS OF CENTRAL LEADERSHIP COMING OUT WITH THEIR SELECTION?

Ans: Central Leadership announcing its preference, will be an insult and to the Legislature Party and interference into their affairs. The Legislature Party is supposed to elect its leader independently. It is how democracy flows from grassroot levels, to upwards. The role of Central Leadership and their observers should have been restricted to ensure that the MLAs do not fight with chairs and knives, and that they exercise their franchise fearlessly and freely.

QUESTION: WHAT WILL BE THE HARM NOW?

Ans: Those who are mum and silent now at the Meeting to Elect Legislature Party Leader, will start their dissident operations. There will be bickerings. As per the practice, CM will go to the Central Leadership with the list of proposed Ministers and will have to get their approval. CM will have to convince those who do not get a berth in Cabinet, saying that it is not his list, and that it is the Central Leadership's list. This type of affairs may prevail in, and suit for bourgeoisie parties, but not for PROLETARIAT PARTIES which are supposed NOT TO RUN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, but FROM BOTTOM TO TOP.

QUESTION: Even a Chief Minister duly elected in secret ballot cannot satisfy dissident MLAs who do not find their names in Cabinet?

ANS: MLAs, themselves, can be given the task of electing their Ministers, along with their portfolios, that too through a secret ballot.

QUESTION: But using secret ballot for everything, weakens a CM !

ANS: Today, Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers are becoming tyrants, because they have the prerogative whom to make ministers, and whom not to make ministers. Consequently, Cabinet Meetings have become mute affairs, where Ministers do not dare to express their dissent. CMs and PMs have started giving marks to Ministers and MLAs.

QUESTION: Secret ballots for everything, may lead to MLAs demanding bribes for their votes.

ANS: It is the weakness of democracy, caused by a shortocoming of grass-root voters who have become CORRUPT and are failing to elect their M.L.As and M.Ps. after testing their honesty and integrity. For some years, till our democracy matures, this lacuna is to be borne with.

Subject to corrections and deletions. A lot more is to be added. To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.

708 Part 1/10 of Establishing and Running Political Parties, Practical Problems भाग १ -राजनीतिक दतों के स्थापना और संचालन कर्ना భాగం ౧ రాజకీయ పార్టీలను స్థాపించటం, నడపటం సమస్యలు

1996: Mr. Nagabhairava Jayaprakash Narayan, Retd. I.A.S. Officer, Andhra Pradesh State, India, founded a Movement called "Lok Satta". It literally means: "Satta=power. Lok=People. Lok Satta=Power of the People". So far so good. He converted LokSatta into a political party in 2006, initially as a State Level Party, and subsequently an All India level party. 2016 March: Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, is reported to have announced that he is quitting politics, and that Lok Satta would continue as a non-political organisation. He is also reported to have said that they will not be contesting elections. Today, one Telugu Channel telecast a report about it, intermittantly tinging it with a Telugu Language song from dEvadAsu titled "antA bhrAnti yEnA, jIvitAna velugintEnA, AASA nirASEnA migilEdI cintEnA? అంతా భ్రాంతి యేనా జీవితానా వెలుగింతేనా? ఆశా నిరాశేనా మిగిలేదీ చింతేనా ? Approx. Engl: Is everything an illusion? Is there no light in life? Should hope become a disappointment? What remains? Only regrets, remorse(s) and repentance(s)? "

It is difficult to answer this question.

Disappointments may arise when persons start organisations with personal ambitions and goals. On the other hand, if persons believe that their duty and task are just to spread the right principles and theories, while at the same time trying to bring them into implementation and launch stage. What is more important is, parties are not founded by persons. Parties are founded by principles which motivate persons.

There are bound to be revolts, treacheries, upheavals, and disappointments in politics. India is not the only country, where this problem exists.

For example, in United States, Mr. Bernie Sanders, the 74 years contender for Democratic Presidential Nomination, may have to face a similar disappointment, particularly because he is getting advanced in age. The other two runners-up in Republican Presidential Nomination, Mr. Ted Cruz (just 45 years age), Mr. Marco Rubio (just 44 years age), at least have an advantage of age before them. They can try and succeed next time.



There is one big difference between United States, and India. Members of Parties in United States, elect their nominees, through some sort of democratic process of voting, howsoever, skewed or defective it may be. Parties in India, on the other hand, do not have any proper democratic process to elect Presidential, Prime Ministerial Nominees. Parties in India are personal fiefdoms of the Founders and their coteries.

Aspirants for Party Presidential Nominations in United States, mobilise huge funds from both large donors, and small donors, though technically every candidate claims he-she has mobilised funds mostly from small donors. Whatever it is, in United States, fund mobilisation depends on personal efforts of the candidates and their supporters.

Lok Satta and Aam Admi Parties in India promised to become exceptions to the general rule of parties being personal fiefdoms, but experience shows that they are not exceptions. Mr. Jayaprakash Narayan tried to monopolise Lok Satta. Mr. Arvind Kejriwal monopolised Aam Admi Party. Though BJP claims to be not a dynastic party, it is remotely controlled by its founding organisation R.S.S. (Rashtriya Svayam Sevak Sangh).

HARD AND HARSH REALITIES

Parties in India (or probably in the entire world, including United States) cannot be run without funds.

Promoters and Founders of Parties have to depend on Corporates for large chunk of funds for running parties.

Industrialists and Business Persons demand their shares of the spoils, demanding a greater role for them, via Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Memberships, Admission into Cabinet with key portfolios, favourable tax and industrial policies to their industrial and business empires.

Parties depend on Film Stars, Cricketers for mass appeal, nominating them to Legislatures and Parliament. Example: BJP has issued ticket to Mr. Srishant, a Cricketer, to contest from Tiruvananthapuram Assembly.

If these are the realities, parties can never be run as CLEAN ENTITIES.

We have to work out practical ways-out for this existential and survival issue.

SOME SOLUTIONS

Founders of parties, basically do not want to lose control over the organisations they establish. Consequently, Parties lose their internal democracy. Howsoever energetic and charismatic leaders of parties may be, the structures of parties cannot be built downward from top to bottom. They are to get elected from bottom grass-roots to top. One question remains. Unscrupulous persons who do not have any commitment to the principles of the party, or who do not have at least their own principles join the party and hyjack it. This danger intensifies when a party shows signs of scoring in elections. As long as a party does not show tendencies of succeeding, no unscrupulous person will come forward to join. The crucial question, therefore, should admissions into parties be rigidly controlled?

Under ordinary circumstances, local units of parties are to have the authority to admit new members. Decentralisation is the ideal option, but affluent persons may dominate local units, by bringing their own henchmen into the Party.

To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.

478 Artificial unanimous elections can never really revive or strengthen parties

In true Leftism and true demcracy, elections can never be unanimous.


This is because Indians have a tendency to hide their true feelings and restrain themselves from behaving naturally.


Conducting jamborees of parties and holding open elections can really serve no purpose in preserve internal democracies of parties.


We shall take the latest example of the election of Mr. Sitaram Yechury as the General Secretary of CPM (CPIM), at its Congress held in Visakhapatnam.


The election of Mr. Sitaram Yechury was a formality, because it was predetermined.


Though it is said that one Mr. Ramachandran Pillai from Kerala had come forward to contest, it appears that he was pressurised to withdraw his nomination in the name of party's unity.


In India rarely contestants come forward to openly file their nominations, against the blowing winds triggered by party bosses.   To overcome this, I suggest a better system:  Every member of the Party Congress can be treated as a contestant, without any need for his filing a nomination.   Membership Nos. and names of all the eligible contestants can be printed on ballot papers (now-a-days in this computer age it is very easy). and the voters can just tick against the number and name of the person whom they wish to elect as President / General Secretary.

Voting by show of hands or voice votes do no really bring out the intentions of the voters.   Secret ballot is the only way, if voters have to express their free consent.

As per the traditions of CPIM, Mr. Sitaram Yechury may work as its President for another ten years,  too long a period of stewardship.

CPIM may have to substantially change their Party's Constitution (bye-laws) to make them more truely democratic, rather than hypocritically democratic.

For CPIM, I view that this procedure will stabilise and strengthen the party.


Whatever I am writing here will apply to the forthcoming election of Mr. Rahul Gandhi as the President of Congress Party of which his mother, Ms. Sonia Gandhi is the President now.



Today's English & European vocabulary

Fait accompli

Something that has been done and that cannot be changed.  అప్పటికే అంతా అయిపోయింది, మార్చలేనిది. 

Accomplished, and nearly irreversible.
సంపూర్ణం, అనుపసంహరణీయము.

Example: The election of  Mr. Sitaram Yechury was not only a foregone conclusion, but also a fait accompli.

రహస్యంగా తీసుకున్న నిర్ణయాన్ని అతిగా ప్రచారంచేయటం వల్ల, శ్రీ సీతారాం గారి ఎన్నిక ఫెయిట్ ఎకాంప్లి అయిపోయింది.

ybrao a donkey's humble वैबीराव गधे के विनम्र राय వైబీరావ్ గాడిద వినమ్ర అభిప్రాయం

My heartfelt sympathies lie with Mr. Ramachandran Pillai, who was said to have withdrawn his nomination.  Mr. Sitaram Yechury, in my vision, would have become a great warrior, had he demanded for and faced a secret ballot, whatever it is worth.

తన నామినేషన్ ఉపసంహరించుకున్నారని చెప్పబడుతున్న శ్రీ రామచంద్రన్ పిళ్ళె గారికి నా హృదయపూర్వక సానుభూతి.  శ్రీ సీతారాం యేచూరి గారు, రహస్య బ్యాలెట్ కై డిమాండ్ చేసి, దానిని ఎదుర్కొని ఉంటే, ఆయన ఒక సత్ సంప్రదాయాన్ని నెలకొల్పి ఉండే వాడు.  అప్పుడు పార్టీకి జీవితాంతం ఋణపడి ఉంటానని ప్రకటించుకోవాల్సిన అవసరం తప్పేది.  పార్టీయే ఆయనకు ఋణపడి ఉండేది.

Now, I am tempted to compare Mr. Sitaram Yechury to Narendra Modi, both of whom captured their respective parties as a sort of hijack rather than as a genuine expression of  freewill from the grassroots.

(To continue.)