PRAGOTI

The speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Somnath Chatterjee, has been expelled from CPI(M) on 23rd of July. It’s a bold decision by the PB of the party. Through this decision the PB has tried to convey the message to all party members that discipline is the utmost importance in a communist organization. There are many theories behind the whole episode put forward by different media. The one line statement by the PB is not at all clear to many people who belong to the support base of the communist party and also to the large section of the people who believes in communist ideology in the nation. These people are totally confused at this stage since nothing has been explained by the party yet. In addition, few statements (published in news papers) of party leaders of PB or CC are misleading in terms of the available official statements. Also, the disciplinary action taken against Mr. Chatterjee has raised serious concern on the ‘independence and impartiality’ of the chair. People are waiting eagerly for explanations form the highest committee of CPI(M). This is a humble effort from one of those people to raise some of the important issues to the party leaders for elaborate discussion and future attention.

1. Difference between PB statements and statements issued by PB members:

On 14th of July, the General Secretary of CPI(M) has issued a statement to explain party’s stand on the resignation of Mr. Chatterjee from the post of the speaker. It was stated that ‘any decision will be taken by the Speaker himself’. The statement was appreciated by a cross-section of people irrespective of party affiliation having faith in parliamentary democracy. The whole nation was discussing party’s stand to prevail the dignity of the highest post in India’s parliamentary democracy and comparing CPI(M) with other political parties.
On 23rd July the whole nation was shocked. The PB of CPI(M) issued the statement that it ‘has unanimously decided to expel Somnath Chatterjee from the membership of the Party’.
Mr. Chatterjee was expelled from the party since he didn’t resign from the post. So, it seems that either Mr. Karat’s statement is in contradiction to the PB’s statement issued on 23rd or party is now started following the famous statement ‘either with us or against us’.

2. Acceptability of statements issued by PB members:

PB statements or statements issued by PB members are generally accepted as the party line or party’s stand on different national and international issues. In this regard people also follow People’s Democracy for better understanding. The statement of Mr. Karat was also published in the PD (dated: 20th July). In the recent event a deviation from the same was observed. It is evident when CC member Mr. Benoy Konar told The Telegraph that “What Prakash said was for media and public consumption. But Somnath was told in no uncertain terms the party wanted him to conform to its line,” (The Telegraph, 24th July).
Party followers or supporters read the PB statements to understand party’s stand on different issues. After Mr. Konar’s statement it is really difficult to accept PB statements as party’s true stand. Hence, being a supporter/follower one does not have the right to know party’s stand on different important issues.

3. Fundamental issue related to Indian constitution and Party constitution

Mr. Chatterjee didn’t make any public statement yet to explain his stand to remain in the chair of the speaker. Probably, he tried to keep the faith of people on the post of ‘constitutional and ceremonial head of the House’. It is evident from one of the recent statement of Mr. Biman Bose on this issue. According to him “Chatterjee may have acted according to the Indian Constitution but the party constitution is supreme in case of party members,” (The Telegraph, 24th July). In addition, Kerala CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said that "Chatterjee has betrayed the party in which he had held high positions. His place in history will be that of a betrayer of the party" (Rediff News, 24th July).
It is quite clear that Mr. Chatterjee is a betrayer of the party since he followed the Indian constitution and not the party constitution – a serious problem. In other way, the party constitution in some special situation, like the present one, is against the national constitution. Is it at all possible? Party members, starting from the branch level to PB are trying to defend the expulsion in this simple way. Being an Indian citizen, please don’t say anything which is against the constitution. Otherwise, the party would be leveled as an anti national party by media. This would nothing but disturb the communist movement in the country.
Above all, it is very clearly mentioned in the article XXA of the constitution of CPI(M) that ‘The Communist Party of India (Marxist) shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India’.

Yours truly,

Aditya