Conciliatory efforts in CPI; action against senior leaders seems dim

The possibility of another organizational disciplinary action against senior CPI leaders K. E. Ismail and C. Divakaran over their recent controversial statements has dimmed.

Both have ceased to be part of the party state leadership. Ismail will relinquish his membership of the National Executive Samiti at the party congress as he has crossed 75 years of age.

At the same time, Divakaran is not even a party congress delegate.

However, state secretary Kanam Rajendran reacted the other day that the party will review the actions of both leaders.

Kanam made it clear that their public statements would be looked into while reviewing the state conference proceedings after the party congress.

Though Ismail made a call for a contest before the state conference, he relented in the end and even proposed the name of Kanam.

The conciliatory moves of central control commission chairman Pannyan Ravindran became crucial. Ismail was initially not agreeable to the idea that he should suggest the name of Kanam.

He said that if they were keen on it, Pannyan should propose the name of Kanam, and he would back it. However, the Central leadership insisted that it was ideal for Ismail to suggest the name of Kanam to clear factional clouds that had gathered over the party.

When Ismail agreed to it, he was invited as the first speaker in the concluding session of the state meet. Though he expressed his inner turbulence throughout his speech, he harped on the unity in the party.

Divakaran, who too openly criticized the implementation of the age criteria before the conference, shifted his stance and seemed to agree to fixing the 75-year age bar for entry into party committees as the event neared.

Though the senior leader expressed his displeasure over his dropping from the state council following the party rule enforcement, he refrained from making serious criticisms that would have invited disciplinary measures.

Divakaran, the chairman of the Prabhath Book House, wishes to continue in the post.

However, the leadership will take a final call when the various positions are reshuffled upon completion of the party congress and decide whether to give Divakaran, no more an Executive Samiti member, an extended term.

The state leadership is also not wholly favourable to the CPI Idukki district leadership ousting E.S. Bijimol from the state council.

The senior leaders believe the district leaders would have their own reasons for the action. However, sources said that they intend to bring her back to the state council fold by extending key posts in affiliated organizations in a step-by-step manner.

The state council meeting, to be held after the CPI All India Congress in Vijayawada from October 14 to 18, will elect the new Executive Samiti and the Assistant Secretaries.

Given the stipulation that one of the Assistant Secretaries should be below 65 years of age, either K. Prakash Babu or Sathyan Mokeri would be forced to step down.

This even as strong hints of Prakash Babu replacing Ismail upon the latter being removed from the National Executive Samiti are emerging.