ED probe, Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M)’s self-criticism: What happened at Kozhikode meet?

As the CPI(M) holds its extended State Committee meeting in Kozhikode to examine and correct the shortcomings that contributed to its electoral debacle in Kerala, a controversy erupted on the first day over party general secretary M.A. Baby’s failure to make an explicit reference to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation allegedly targeting the family of senior leader Pinarayi Vijayan.

Delivering a nearly one-and-a-half-hour inaugural address at the high-stakes, three-day meeting, Baby called for open criticism and self-correction within the party. Acknowledging that the party had suffered setbacks, he said the necessary corrections would be made from a pro-people perspective.

However, Baby did not significantly address the controversy surrounding the ED investigation. Instead, he said the CPI(M) would resist and defeat what he described as false propaganda campaigns directed against the party.

The issue took a turn in the afternoon when CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan, at a press conference, claimed that Baby had referred in his inaugural address to the attacks against Pinarayi Vijayan, the senior-most leader of the Left movement in Kerala. Govindan said Baby had also pointed out that, as part of the continuing right-wing shift, the media were targeting Vijayan and that these attacks should be viewed as attacks against the party itself.

“Comrade Baby also highlighted the importance of strengthening the party in Kerala’s particular circumstances and advancing as a strong force in the ideological struggle,” Govindan said.

However, when reporters questioned him about the apparent absence of any specific reference to the ED investigation in Baby’s speech, Govindan initially said that the ED had indeed been mentioned. He later broadened his explanation, saying Baby was not referring only to the ED investigation.

“What he said was that the spearhead of the attacks against the party would be directed against the party leadership. That is what he said,” Govindan said.

Later, Govindan said that there is no need to explicitly say ED. “Everyone knows how the attacks against the party are taking place now. That is what I said,” he explained. “What I was saying is that the basis of the attacks against the party is anti-communism. That is all you need to know.”

Notably, there are observations that Govindan’s explanation about Baby’s speech was intended to give a message to the party hierarchy at the different levels as the party conducts district-level discussions and open discussions today and tomorrow.

Interestingly, the political observers see these as aparents signs that the central leadership and the state leadership are seeing things from different perspectives in the matter of improving party’s image and rejuvenating party cadre system. Earlier, the CPIM Central Committee had released its self-critical election results review report in the public domain and had triggered discussions about the various shortcomings of the party state leadership.

Nevertheless, the state leadership largely sounded in denial of the shortcomings at its state top leadership even hours before the extended committee.

In his inaugural speech, General Secretary Baby said that false narratives are being created against the CPM with the Assembly elections in mind. He charged that the current false narratives are a continuation of those that existed during the Liberation Struggle. “Attempts to destroy the Left have been going on since 1957. Even CIA dollars were used then,” he said, adding that no one should delude themselves that the Communist movement has collapsed. “There will be the necessary self-criticism and corrective measures within the party,” he clarified.

Govindan also promised that the party is going to plan practical action to correct the issues it has identified. “That is the intention. It is not about adding something else or introducing new matters,” said Govindan.

"We will discuss how to overcome the problems that have been identified and move forward. The document will be enriched by incorporating the issues that emerge from that discussion. We are still presenting a draft document. Naturally, this extended committee will add all the remaining matters and finalise it. It will be completed after that," he added.