Thiruvananthapuram: Karl Marx might have turned in his grave at Highgate Cemetery in London, pained to see India’s mainstream communist party, which carries his name, making a clean break from everything he had written.
The 24th Kerala state conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)—CPI (M)—can justifiably be termed historic, but for all the wrong reasons, according to Marxist doctrine.
What defined the triennial party meet, which saw the convergence of over a hundred select cadres and leaders from across the state in the presence of politburo members from the party centre, was a document presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan titled “New Paths to a New Kerala.”
Touted as a strategic paper, it envisions how to shape Kerala’s future as a front-line state in India by leveraging its productive potential in all socio-economic verticals. As per party protocol, the four-day meeting adopted the document with several amendments after threadbare deliberations lasting hours.
The debate saw a few doctrinaire, old-time comrades raising their eyebrows. But, reminiscent of the transformational shift in post-Mao China, such feeble criticism proved to be mere whimpers in a party setup dominated by the Chief Minister.
Though couched in Marxist language, the document did not mince words in stating that Kerala’s progress must be driven by private capital, with the government playing the role of a facilitator that guarantees a conducive ecosystem for investors. It also asserted the party’s pivotal role in steering the state toward a bright future.
Significantly, the party conference came close on the heels of a two-day global investor meet organized by the government in Kochi.
The government claimed the event was a resounding success, garnering investment proposals worth nearly ₹2 lakh crore. It attributed the enhanced investor confidence in the state to the improved ease of doing business ushered in by the LDF government since it came to power in 2016. The upfront pro-business policy initiatives of back-to-back ministries led by Pinarayi Vijayan are repeatedly projected as the catalyst for this transformation.
All this would have passed as normal, if not for the CPI (M)’s record and the governments led by it, which have alternated in power for decades.
Riding on the strength of its trade unions and student and youth outfits, the party had often taken to the streets to oppose radical economic reforms and the infusion of disruptive technologies. Especially when in opposition, the party had assumed grim ideological positions against transformative shifts.
One striking instance was its past opposition to private universities. While in opposition, the party’s student outfit, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), vigorously protested when the UDF government led by Oommen Chandy moved in that direction. The stir turned so ugly that the then chairman of the Higher Education Council, a highly respected former diplomat, was roughed up in public.
Similarly, the party’s new stance states that private investment could be leveraged to revive loss-making public sector enterprises, a departure from its earlier position of stiffly opposing the Centre’s disinvestment policy.
The party has pushed its troubled past under the carpet.
Dismissing suggestions that the document presented and adopted at the party meeting marked a complete ideological shift, the CPI (M) leadership insists it is merely a roadmap for Kerala’s future, aiming to transform it into a knowledge-based economy. The party claims to still adhere to its ideological fundamentals, even as it plays a central role in shaping a progressive and equitable social order—one that could serve as an alternative model for the country.
This ideological repositioning also sends a message to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) that the LDF is gearing up for a serious attempt at a third consecutive term under Pinarayi Vijayan’s leadership. The party suggests that its rout in the Lok Sabha elections does not necessarily indicate bleak prospects for the 2026 Assembly polls.
Notably, Vijayan has been exempted from the party’s age cap of 75 for leaders eligible to be part of the higher party apparatus.
On the flip side, the conference proceedings took place in the presence of politburo members Prakash Karat—now designated as the central coordinator for party functions following the death of Sitaram Yechury—and Brinda Karat, both known for their deep commitment to classical Marxism.
أجهزة سحبة السيجارة الإلكترونية توفر تجربة تدخين مريحة وعملية، تعمل بالبطارية وتستخدم سوائل النيكوتين بتركيزات مختلفة، مما يسمح للمستخدم بالتحكم في كمية النيكوتين المستهلكة.