Magsaysay row sets off debate over CPI(M)’s wavering ideological positions

The recent decision of the CPI(M) to decline the Magsaysay award conferred on K K Shailaja, Kerala’s former health minister and a central committee member of the party citing ideological reasons has raised many an eyebrow as the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala is often seen deviating from the Left ideologies on various key issues. Be it the party’s stand on foreign and private investments, rapport with religious and communal outfits or the one-upmanship of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the CPI(M) has been criticised for taking contradictory ideological positions.

Now, the CPI(M)’s decision to decline the Magsaysay award, given in recognition of Shailaja’s efforts in the fight against Covid-19 and Nipah outbreaks, citing the anti-Communist history of the Philippines’ former president Ramon Magsaysay has triggered a wave of criticisms; most widely, as yet another instance of male dominance in the CPI(M) and a ploy of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to retain his one-upmanship.

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While the CPI(M) once strongly opposed private and foreign investments in development projects, its government in Kerala is now championing the private and foreign participation for major infrastructure projects like the semi-high-speed-rail. The party that once fiercely campaigned for environmental protection is now accused of ignoring the same in its enthusiasm to implement development projects.

The party seems to be succumbing to the demands of religious heads and doing exactly what it accused the Congress of doing: Minority appeasement for electoral gains. Revoking the decision to hand over appointments to the Kerala Wakf Board to the Public Service Commission being the latest instance.

Pinarayi Vijayan had, in the past, fiercely criticised the mass popularity, going beyond the party, enjoyed by CPI(M) leaders like former CM V S Achuthanandan. But now Vijayan seems to be enjoying the same with no complaints. The Left-front government in Kerala is widely referred to as ‘Pinarayi government’ even by party leaders and huge cut-outs of Vijayan are a common sight.

The recent decision to zero in on M V Govindan Master surpassing other seniors as the party state secretary is also seen as Vijayan’s move to ensure his upper hand over the party. Govindan is considered a loyalist. Incidentally, he also hails from Kannur, the party’s strong hold often referred to as the ‘Kannur lobby.’

It was in these contexts that the decision to decline Magsaysay citing ideological reasons triggered criticisms. Ironically, CPI(M) also cited another reason, besides Magsaysay’s anti-Communist ideology, that it would be unfair to accept an award conferred on an individual when the effort, leading to the successful handling of the virus break-out, was collective.

This raises the curious question whether the CPI(M) leadership would have taken the same ideological position if the award was offered to Vijayan for the state government’s fight against Covid-19 and NIPAH.

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CPI(M) politburo member M A Baby says that the party would have maintained the same position. “It is not the first time that the CPI(M) has denied such awards for the same reason. Even the Padma awards to top CPI(M) leaders like E M S Namboodiripad were declined by the party,” Baby told DH. He also said that if the CPI(M) had taken a different approach and accepted the Magsaysay award, the party would have been criticised for accepting an award that bears the name of an anti-Communist leader.

When asked about the deviations from ideologies on various other issues, Baby said, “We always take a dialectical approach.”

Critics, however, beg to differ. Political commentator and veteran journalist B R P Bhaskar said that while the CPI(M)’s stand to reject an award in the name of an anti-Communist leader could not be flayed, the question really is whether the party stood by its ideology on all issues. “It often seems that ideology has become irrelevant now. It is opportunistic politics, and not Left politics, that is being practiced. Hence the CPI(M) could have given an out-of-the-box thinking and looked for a new approach to such situations,” Bhaskar said.

Another contention of critics is that the award rejection is yet another instance of male dominance in the CPI(M). During the 1987 Assembly election campaign in Kerala, the CPI(M) had projected the firebrand Communist leader K R Gouri Amma as its CM candidate. But after winning the elections, E K Nayanar was made the chief minister.

Similarly, Shailaja, whose handling of the pandemic as health minister earned her a reputation of excellence, was denied a place in the current Left-front government despite winning the 2021 Assembly election with a record margin. The reason: the party’s norm of ‘no consecutive term as minister to anyone’. But the same norm was ignored for Vijayan, who assumed the CM office for a second consecutive term and the election victory too was widely projected as the victory of the ‘Vijayan government,’ not ‘Left-front government’.

All these factors fuel the rumblings that the CPI(M) does not tolerate its women members in limelight. Seconding this argument, Bhaskar said: “Pinarayi Vijayan taking over daily media briefing when Shailaja was earning much appreciation for leading the state’s fight against Covid, was also a pointer to this.”

There is a widespread resentment among the party cadres over denying the Magsaysay award to Shailaja. “Magsaysay Award is known as a prestigious honour rather than one in the name of Ramon Magsaysay. Not just Shailajah, but the Communist party as well as Kerala health sector could have earned international reputation if Shailaja was allowed to accept the award,” said a CPI(M) sympathiser.