CPI(M) gets caught in severe ideological crisis
KOLKATA: As Congress-led UPA unfolded the economic reforms which the Left Front censured and now got new wings with BJP-led NDA pledging its support, it caused a deep embarrassment with a party MP Ritabrata Banerjee showing off an expensive and imported watch and a pen.
A CPI(M) MP, young Ritrabrata embarrassed the party’s top leadership, including party general secretary Sitaram Yechury who thought it’s time party reign all this reform-driven tendencies.
Incidentally, party’s top leadership both in Politbureau and Central Committee not only condemned Ritrabrata using social media to show off his watch and pen, but unanimously agreed to issue a guideline for party members so that they “abide by the directives and cause no loss of face for CPI(M),’’ said Yechurry.
Interestingly, amidst TMC’s severe attack on highly paid doctors and their patrons in big private hospitals for manipulated bill beyond the ability of common man, Ritabrata’s adventure with new economic (reform-driven) trends only caused a deep political embarrassment for the organization. 
Quick to react, a veteran Congress leader, close to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Subrata Mukherjee, now a minister with TMC told this writer: “We aren’t Communists, but we had respect for those simple men and women who lived common man’s life with dedication for a cause.’’
It is however symbol of an ideological crisis in the party where new generation leaders are getting caught up in the frothy gloss of market economy just like a member of a Rightist party,’’ a Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader said.
Much the same way reacted CPI leadership, “we know there is corruption in morality after Independence, but Left was very sensible about these perishable gloss, but we are giving in now.’’
There isn’t a bigger victory for the protagonists of market economy and a reform-driven economy than converting the Communists to embrace the new policies, agreed a Political Science Calcutta University Professor. “It’s no New Left but a thoughtless absorption that spells death. This an indication of Left becoming party of social democrats,’’ he added.
