Where’s the CPM headed? Is there even one CPM effectively anymore? There are two CPMs in Bengal: CPM (Buddhadeb) and CPM (not-so-Buddhadeb). One in Delhi. And at least two factions in Kerala. All the five CPMs suffer from waning political influence thanks to growing electoral difficulties. For the CPM to not go the way history suggests communist parties go, first, the five CPMs have to become one again, in part by redefining the party?s purpose. Ideally, the party should junk silly anti-Americanism, considerably loosen, if not cut, its ties to organised labour (ties that bind it to all major, disruptive strikes), move from confused critique of ?neo-liberalism? to pragmatic social democratic precepts, and leverage its strengths: brainpower at top and, despite what?s happened in the Bengal unit, or rather units, relative probity. A cleanish, social democratic, non-identity politics based party can be said to have a future. True, since the Congress tacks to the left on economic policy, the left-of-centre space can be a bit crowded. But a smaller left-of-centre third party can have a role look at the Liberal Democrats in Britain, for example. In India, a political party that speaks for, say, unorganised labour without wanting to use them as union fodder will be politically optimal. But can the CPM even begin to attempt such changes?
Blind anti-Americanism is a favourite of Delhi-based senior ideologues. Is there a second generation with enough intellectual heft and courage to challenge this dogma? Ties to unions are crucial for political muscle flexing and funding. If those ties are loosened, how will the party project muscle outside Bengal and Kerala and how will the funding work out? Some short-term disruption for long-term gain will be called for. Will the CPM, actually a deeply conservative party despite all its revolutionary rhetoric, be ready for that? Changing over from bad economics that gets angry about neo-liberalism to solid, left-of-centre economics may be the easiest reform for the CPM. India has plenty of good economists who respect the market but approach it from the left. Some of them will be glad to provide intellectual gloss to a social democratic party programme. The key is changing the party programme. Might more electoral shocks produce the necessary impetus for change; losing Bengal and Kerala in 2011, for example? This is a tough question. But if some pragmatists take over the party leadership in Delhi, and assuming the CPM?s party discipline stays, there may be some hope. Or will the communist party break up again? The CPM came out of CPI because it thought the CPI was not radical enough and the CPML came out of CPM for the same reason. This time, what communists understand by ?radical? has to change.