KOZHIKODE: As the CPM’s 20th Party Congress in Kozhikode is nearing its close, party general secretary Prakash Karat has undoubtedly emerged a rejuvenated leader reaffirming his position as the helmsman of the party.The leader of the Stalinist party who was under fire in the run-up to the party congress for miserably failing to capitalise on the historic Left-win in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, the flawed approach towards the nuclear deal and the subsequent assembly election rout in West Bengal has effectively managed to spin the party’s failures as the collective responsibility of the politburo (PB) and the central committee (CC).Ever since the Left withdrew its support to the UPA-I, Karat has been under severe criticism from the West Bengal cadre for fatally uniting the rival parties -- Congress and Trinamool Congress -- in West Bengal which, according to them, has led to the Assembly election fiasco. The WB unit attributed the shocking defeat of the party to the weak central leadership and its inability to take political decisions, and demanded a complete leadership change at the national level. However, the Party Congress has put to rest all speculations that the leadership was plagued with division and rift over the issue. In spite of the fact that Karat had to face the brunt of attack, he managed to get the decision endorsed in the party congress. More importantly, the discussion on the political resolution at the party congress even noted that the CPM was late to act against the nuclear deal and should have withdrawn its support to UPA-I much earlier. Besides, after losing power the West Bengal cadre became so weak that it could hardly stick on to its demand for a change in the national leadership. Political experts feel that the CPM central leadership might have countered the anti-Karat WB unit with the impressive show by the Kerala CPM unit in the Assembly elections. “In Kerala, the LDF falling short of a majority by three seats cannot be seen as a rejection of the LDF Government and its policies. The working people actually supported the CPM and the LDF in substantial measure,” says the political resolution.Known for his non-compromising attitude, Karat could bring the proposal to amend the CPM’s constitution to limit the terms of the general secretary and secretaries at the state, district and intermediate levels for not more than three, considering the fact that party leadership at various levels has become more like an establishment. In a way, however, Karat has ensured his position in the party. Karat, who has completed two terms as the general secretary, is eligible to continue even if that amendment is passed and the party appears weak to take a gamble at this juncture.Even as some politicians brand Karat as the ‘Indian Stalin’, many political observers believe that he could be better termed as a ‘democratic communist’ with less political instincts. “Karat could not be compared to Stalin as he believes in following a democratic approach. He should be a Stalinist if the decisions of the central leadership be workable,” notes political observer N M Pearson.
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