Money, power and CPI

R.K. Shivachandra *

To me Mr. Somnath Chattejee is fighting a battle for his own. A battle between a materialistic fantasy that he cherished and on the other hand follow hard discipline stricture imposed upoun by his own party. A moral tug of war between becoming a disciplined comrade and remained in the power as speaker in the lower house.

Some said it is a dilemma between the dignity of the speaker chair and the party discipline. This question never arises. The party which he had worked for over four decades in the sun and rain had to be parted over the seat of speaker- is something not found in the books of CPI.

Somnath Chattejee on the other hand did his cakewalk stubbornly bidding adieu to the party which he had been associated with for so long. For the moment the chair of Speaker is the most precious possession in the world for him. The CPI (M) has culminated in his expulsion on Wednesday last.

What stunned everyone is CPI in India that had been known for its highest virtue in term of discipline seemed to have lost it on that faithful day when Somnath declared his inability to quit the speaker post to none other than Shri. Jyoti Basu the former Chief Minister of West Bengal and of course the inseparable mentor for Somnath during his high and low days.

This has amply showed how soon a man changed when power and money together in one set knocked someone's door. This is indeed a bolt from the blue especially for Mr. Somnath who had been breathing the air of CPI for forty long years.

In Manipur the power and money has visited lately. The courtship between the congress and CPI (M) had abruptly come to an end in Delhi after a long four years association following the controversial nuke deal. But the coalition had to go on in Manipur.

Funny things are happening around. While CPI general secretary AB Bardhan accuses the Congress of horse-trading at the Centre; at the same time he wants his comrades in Manipur to remain in the Congress-led coalition.

True or false - only time may tell that Sri. Bardhan had asked Sri Parijat to remain with the Congress led coalition in Manipur. This was made known to the local media here by Parijat, who met Bardhan at a two-day national executive meeting of the party in New Delhi recently. If this comes out true the logic behind the policy of Mr. AB Bardhan is unfathomable.

As far as one can see now in the present context of Manipur, the congress which has 31 MLAs could well managed themselves to form the government without the support of others. It is understandably to be noted even though Ibobi didn't spell it out congress can well survive alone.

The stage stretches before Ibobi for the finest catwalk. The Chief Minister must also not have lost sight of the disgruntled MLAs of congress who had been chopped with the downsizing axe not long ago. But an able Ibobi promised them to bring back the missing smiles somehow or the other someday. After all they are Congress Men. Some also asked Ibobi "Has not the time come to keep the promise you made"

At such juncture it would really worth hearing the gossips of the CPI red card holders in and around the town on the strategy leading to defend themselves from public humiliation and criticism that flies from tea stall to tea stall. CPI in Manipur had already come out in the news more than once after it became a coalition partner on the alleged humiliation by the congress.

The Lok Sabha election is not that far off too. CPI would definitely field its own candidate. We cannot foresee a common candidate for congress and CPI on the basis of being coalition. The normal election hullabaloo and mud slinging process will be there as usual.

Reportedly the CPI men including the minister himself have spoken out their hearts against the endless corruption and malfunction in certain Government offices of the SPF Government to which CPI also a coalition partner.

But the shortest and quick answer to the CPI had been why it still loved to go along with the Congress, the coalition partner they lambasted too often. Yes whoever MLAs under the sun would definitely wish to become minister but one should not be Mr. Right in wrong place and wrong time. I wish CPI does what it preaches.

As of now the play of the CPI draws a big flop show. It is more so in a place like Manipur where every thing starts with a hymn of criticism. It has become the story of a single actor who takes two opposite character roles in the same play by merely fixing a tiny moustache on the popular face.

The murmur around the local tea stall may be able to give more light on the present development. Our Manipur communist brothers will have to do a lot of home works. There was a time CPI, despite their inability to win more seats in the Assembly, people were looking up to them expecting something positive.

Unfortunately the charm seemed to have banished into thin air nowadays. If the legislators in the disciplined parties could not make their presence felt to the public by doing something different from others than what is it in a name of a political party? The time calls for the best man to come into the active politics.

Anecdote

It was June 18th; the flames out of the Assembly seemed to have scaled the sky. Smokes raised and spread across the horizon. All the political party offices have been targeted in Manipur.

Leaders have sunk their heads inside the sand as ostrich does. Young people in group wandered around the town like those hungry lions just released from the cage. So-called activist and protagonist who once led the agitation shut themselves in the room while innocent teens took the torch forward.

Speaker bungalow has been reduced to ashes already. The communist Bhawan near the Rupmahal tank also never spared. The furniture have been broken by the angry crowd. Papers in bundle flew crisscrossed in the room. Photographs of the communist leaders on the wall have been stoned and broken. Partymen ran away for life. An old woman about the age of 75 spared the portrait of Hijam Irabot, keeping it close to her chest the woman pleaded to spare the portrait of the leader at least.

An angry young boy said "You old stupid woman" he continued "In the sacred name of Irawat you are selling Manipur". The old woman wept bitterly like a real communist. It was real tears of a social worker and it expressed the love of Irawat in action. The woman saved the portrait from the angry boy. I wish Irawat shouldn't have visited Political party offices in the trouble time in Manipur.

Shakespeare says: What is it in a name that which you called a rose by any other name it will remain sweet as it is. This may also be added: What is it in the name of a political party, to which you belong, by any other party you will remain hypocrite as ever.