Yechury’s remark sparks debate over CPM-CPI merger

A day after CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury spoke about the suggestions from the sympathisers about his party merging with the CPI, the issue has ignited a debate.

A day after CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury spoke about the suggestions from the sympathisers about his party merging with the CPI, the issue has ignited a debate.

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It also brought out many issues that remain to be addressed on the road to merger.

“I have made it clear that there are many issues to be sorted regarding the merger. I also didn’t mention about it in the context of an agenda set by the party, but in the backdrop of the sympathisers of two parties writing to the respective general secretaries about the merger", Yechury told HT on Tuesday.

But what Yechury said in Hyderabad on Monday is something rarely told by a CPM leader on the question of merger.

"The merger of the two parties, however, desirable it may be, has to undergo a certain process. One way of doing it is through the unification of various mass organisations and joint activities at the lower level, which will percolate to the top," Yechury had said

There is mixed response to Yechury’s comment. CPI leader D Raja told HT: “We hear that the merger is possible and desirable from the CPM now. But it cannot be done unilaterally.”

“We have been talking about the working together of communists’ parties for years now,” he added.

Many of the senior leaders of the CPM are not so articulate about the issue. Any talk of a merger being actively considered is being received with a pinch of salt in party strongholds of Kerala and West Bengal. And the process for the merger Yechury spoke about has not worked in the past.

“I am not aware of any such move being made in the party. I do not want to comment”, said CPM leader Md Salim from West Bengal.