The 17-member politburo has two women and as many Muslim members, but lacks Dalits. The CPI(M) politburo has not had a Dalit member since the party was founded 53 years ago.
Hyderabad: There are just two women and as many Muslims in the 17-member politburo elected by the CPI(M) at the end of its 22nd party congress Sunday. The party’s apex body also lacks Dalits, continuing a trend witnessed since the CPI(M) was founded 53 years ago.
For a party that claims to stand for people’s struggles, particularly those of the marginalised, the CPI (M) has often been criticised for keeping its politburo male- and upper-caste dominated. Its first woman politburo member, Brinda Karat, was only elected in 2005. Of the five general secretaries of the party so far, all have been upper-caste men.
The new faces in the politburo include Nilotpal Basu and Tapan Sen from West Bengal. The party’s 95-member central committee, its highest policymaking body, was also appointed at the congress.
The central committee unanimously elected general secretary Sitaram Yechury for a second term, ending a tense few months for him after his political line, regarding an understanding with the Congress party, was defeated at the committee’s meeting this January. However, disagreeing with the central committee, the CPI(M) party congress eventually passed an amended political resolution that leaves space for a political understanding with the Congress.
“We had a momentous congress, detailed discussions, and we have taken important decisions. If there is any message that should go to the rank-and-file and our class enemy, it is that the CPI(M) has emerged as a united party,” said Yechury after his re-election. “The main task today is to defeat this BJP government and for that all necessary measures will be undertaken.”
In fact, though much is being made of the party’s political line on account of the internal rift it has caused, this is effectively the line the CPI(M) has been following since 2003. The political resolution adopted that year ended CPI(M)’s treatment of the Congress as a political untouchable and left it open to allying with it.