Forty four years after it broke away from the mother party Communist Party of India in 1964 Communist Party of India, it seems is in trouble about its existence in India although it chooses to keep its existential troubles under wraps as was seen in the recently concluded party Congress in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Brave words that will need equally and positive action.

CPI(M)'s two part political organisation report presented at the Coimbatore session is a clear admission that despite its rising clout, the party is plagued by increasing drop outs, especially in Kerala, erosion of traditional communist value system and problems of getting whole timers into the party fold. The newly introduced section on the experience of Left-ruled states for the first time spells out two different principles of governance for Kerala and West Bengal. Though the document criticizes the handling of Nandigram by the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government, it still approves of industrialization of the state. However it calls for a cautious approach on land acquisition and incentives to business houses.

Also, it wants the state government to tell the people that such investments would not solve the basic problems. About Kerala the party suggests the state should emphasis on agriculture and strengthen public sector enterprises. The comprehensive report also admits that party membership among minorities has come down by 10.22 percent. In West Bengal there is a marginal decline in membership from 14.9 percent in 2005to 14.6 now. Membership of women is 11.93 percent, but the report asks state committees of eight states Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Chhatisgarh – with less than 10 percent women members to take appropriate action to increase their presence in the party-pointing out that Bihar has only 3.65% women members, Chhatisgarh 7.66% and UP 8.88 percent.

The document seeks to enforce stricter guidelines for whole-timers and a more stringent method of giving out memberships. The document also deals with growing factionalism in the party, especially in Kerala and has attributed it to reasons like inability of cadres and senior leadership to settle grievance within the established party forum. It has also admitted that the tendency to talk to the media out of turn is becoming a regular habit. The happenings in Nandigram have become a reference point as it has been compared to weapon in anti-CPI(M) propaganda.

Talking of large-scale land acquisition, the paper cautions against it citing the Nandigram happenings as a political and administrative mistake made by the state government. Also, it says private investors should not be loaded with too many concessions. It is a mistake that the party leadership may not be able to outlive in the lifetime of the party. The general perception is that the Communist Party of India (M) to a large extent and the other Left parties to a lesser extent are standing at the crossroads of political and developmental existence in India, where traditionally Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience was the guiding spirit. That is not to devalue other thinking including socialist reforms.

The Communist Party of India on the other hand has been trying to get out of the shadow of Big Brother CPI(M), though its national leadership has had to flow against the tide to keep its ideals and identity afloat. CPI Congress that was held in Hyderabad in the last week of March, has realized that it has been at the receiving end for following the CPI(M) driven agenda on economic reforms, CPI has found and called for greater ideological unison for integrated Left unity. At the end of the party Congress it was found that there is a growing desire to carve out the party's own identity and to move away from the shadow of the CPI(M) line. CPI wanted to show it had contributed as much as CPI(M) to bring the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance to take up pro-people steps like rural employment guarantee scheme, the tribal and Forest Dwellers' Act and the Right to Information Act.

It is very likely that during the next there years CPI would oppose openly the policies of the Left Front governments of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura that it thinks it differs from. During the Congress inner party sessions at Hyderabad CPI general secretary A B Bardhan who has been elected for yet another term to his post, said the party's ultimate aim was socialism and that would prevail. He had said the West Bengal governments position on capitalism was not quite right criticizing the West Bengal government for choosing the chemical hub decision at Nandigram, he pointed out it was ultimately CPI's opposition that resulted in getting it shelved. The CPI is hurt by the tendency of CPI(M) of not consulting or taking into confidence the other partners of the Front. Without ideological unity among the Left partners, he said, the dream of creating a Left and democratic Front as an alternative to Congress and BJP would not be possible or feasible.

The Party's position at the national level the party has admitted is precarious and is barely able to retain its identity as a national party. CPI organizational report tabled during the Congress admitted that its representation in Lok Sabha is at a minimum, which is necessary to continue it s recognition as a national party, though the Party's political influence is much higher than what the electoral performance reflects. The report also has said a weak and confused cadre has not only ended in a series of electoral reverses and that the party is facing serious problems on the fund collection front. The education and orientation of the cadre remains inadequate and more whole timers are needed. The report had pointed out that membership growth is in a state of semi stagnation for the last ten to fifteen years, and also that the dropout rate is ten percent. In traditional states of strength like UP, Bihar and Punjab, there are instances of people not renewing their membership.

The report has analyzed the reason for poor performance as inability to build a mass base through class struggles and consistent political and consistent political and ideological campaigns. The growth of caste based parties is given as one more reason for the loss of influence of the Left parties.

It does not seem at this juncture that the Left parties will join hands with the Congress Party for electoral gain. The influence of non Congress, non BJP political parties put together is not very great either. It could mean serious erosion of influence of the Left.

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