CPI(M) worried over' 'degeneration' of members

Party's confidential political organisational report identifies lavish lifestyles, corruption as threats.

From religious practices to owning assets disproportionate to their known sources of income, the confidential Political Organisational Report of the 19th Party Congress of the CPI(M) has identified several areas where party members have shown "degeneration.

" A worried CPI(M) has now asked the new leadership that will take shape tomorow to take strong measures to set the house in order.

"The new Central Committee must initiate a full-fledged rectification campaign at all levels of the party," the report said. Insiders say corruption is most acute in the Kerala unit.

For a party whose earlier leaders revelled in poverty, the affluent lifestyle of a section of the members is embarrassing. The report says: "The party's revolutionary character and maintenance of Communist norms and morality must be accorded high priority."

The CPI(M), which can boast of giving the country its poorest chief minister, Manik Sarkar of Tripura, is concerned to see a number of its members lying about their sources of income.

"It shows how corrupt degeneration can creep into the party organisation. There are also complaints that assets of some party members are disproportionate to their known source of income," says the report.

"Some party cadres follow caste and religious practices. There are complaints about party members practising dowry system. Some party members organise ostentatious parties in connection with birthdays, weddings and construction of new houses.

Some party members collect huge amounts of money from shady characters and tainted persons," says the report.

Although the CPI(M) had earlier decided that its members must submit details of their income to the party, it is clear from the report, placed in the 19th Congress, that the directive yielded little result.

"While members submit their income statements, an assessment of these statements by the appropriate party committees is not taking place," it said.

Some old members recall that late Anil Biswas (former West Bengal general secretary) was so poor in his student days that he had only one shirt to wear to college.

Harkishen Singh Surjeet, a veteran Politburo member, donated huge land for the party. Biman Bose, the state chief of West Bengal, belonged to a wealthy family but left everything to join the party at the age of 18.

But today, the party had to face embarassment in Kerala, where Venugopalan, the deputy general manager of the party mouthpiece, Deshabhimani, allegedly took Rs 1 crore from a dubious company. It also states: "Some committees failed to collect levy from members. There are also reports that a section of party members are giving false information about their income to give lower levy than is due."

"The payment of levy is a matter related to the political-organisational consciousness of the party member. The state committees should take appropriate steps to collect levy from members," the report said.