People have read yourresignation on internet but we want to know your side of story. Why did youresign?
This was not the first time that I had serious differenceswith the party on a major issue. For the last six years, I have been raisingcertain political issues, especially in the relation to West Bengal “ landacquisition, the policy orientation of the [former, CPM-led] state government,Nandigram/Singur and on the Indo-US nuclear deal [CPM allowed the ManmohanSingh government to approach the IAEA for the safeguards agreement]. On thenuclear issue, the party narrowed its political consideration, so itpolitically suffered. There was a huge delay in recognising those mistakes.
Why did you makeresignation public?
I have been in the party since 1992 (first as a member ofthe Students’ Federation of India or SFI, the party’s student front). Thereason why I made it public is that you can only raise issues when you areoutside the party. There is a serious problem with the political direction ofCPM. Policy decisions are not taken in a participative democratic manner;rather, decisions are taken in a non-transparent and arbitrary manner.
Where is the problemthen?
The problem is on two fronts. First, the party lacks aclear-cut political direction. Second, the organisational structure does notallow decisions to be taken in a democratic and participative manner. I ammaking a critique of ‘democratic centralism’ from the point view of operationalefficiency. The way democratic centralism is practised by the CPM today hasmade it impossible for itself to rectify its mistakes.
Has anybody from theparty got in touch with you after your resignation?
No. Two-three days after my resignation, I got calls fromseveral central committee members, but no politburo member called me.
But you were quiteclose to the two leaders, you were called a ‘blue-eyed boy’ of Karat.
I was given certain responsibilities in the party. Till thetime I was there in the party, I fulfilled them to the best of my ability. Ihave the highest regard for Comrade Karat. What I am doing is nothing personal.I am making a political critique of the CPM leadership as a whole, not talkingabout any individual.
You left CPM rightwhen the party is at crossroads.
I did not hold any senior position in the party. Because ofthe work I used to do, you can say I had more opportunity to interact withsenior leaders of the party than a regular activist. From my position, I wroteletters to the politburo members. And those letters were detailed ones like myresignation letter but I did not make those letters public.
Given a chance willyou go back to CPM?
Definitely not right now. My immediate plan is to writeabout my experiences and raise issues about the left movement in the country.There are a lot of things happening in the world. There is a new left coming upthat is throwing up new questions while retaining some of the old virtues ofthe left. In the medium term, I am open to the option of joining a leftpolitical party, including the CPM.
