Kerala CPI (M) leader’s remark on dialectical materialism triggers debate

Govindan, also a party central committee member, said since the mind-set of a majority of people was still feudalistic it was impractical to implement dialectical materialism in a society that was not even ready to accept materialism.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist’s) senior leader M V Govindan’s remarks that dialectical materialism (foundation of the Communist ideology) was not practical in India in the present context has triggered a debate with the junior partner CPI rejecting his contention.

After his speech whipped up a controversy, Govindan later clarified that he did not say that dialectical materialism was outdated but only pointed out practical difficulties in implementing it in the present context. (FACEBOOK)

Addressing a meeting of the Kerala School Teachers’ Association in Kannur on Saturday, Govindan, also the party central committee member, said since the mind-set of a majority of people was still feudalistic it was impractical to implement dialectical materialism in a society that was not even ready to accept materialism.

He also said a majority of people still holds on to different types of beliefs so it was not possible to go ahead unmindful of the ground reality and think of implementing the ideology of dialectical materialism. The party can only work within the framework of democracy that comprises believers and irreligious people, he said. His statement came in the wake of the opposition raking up the Sabarimala issue and the way the government handled the agitation of believers two years ago. He stretched dialectical materialism to emphasise his point that the party was not against believers.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy had written a letter to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan last week asking him to approach the Supreme Court to speed up the verdict on the contentious temple issue and withdraw its earlier affidavit that favoured entry of women of all ages to the shrine. In the letter, Chandy said the government’s affidavit created much confusion which ultimately led to the five-bench verdict in 2018 that triggered widespread violence in the state. The ruling party was on the defensive after both Congress and BJP raked it up.

After his speech whipped up a controversy, Govindan later clarified that he never said dialectical materialism was outdated but only pointed out practical difficulties in implementing it in the present context. Party Politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai also said a portion of his speech was blown out of proportion by opponents to create a controversy. “Dialectical materialism is the guiding principle of Communism. His words were blown out of proportion,” he said.

CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said there was no existence of the Communist ideology without dialectical materialism and he would not believe that a senior leader like M V Govindan would make such a comment. (Dialectical materialism is a philosophy of science, history and nature developed in Europe based on the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Dialectics emphasizes importance of real world conditions in terms of class, labour and socio-economic interactions).

The opposition Congress and BJP welcomed the senior leader’s admission saying Communists realise their blunders only late. “Finally realisation dawned upon a person who was an expert in taking party classes of budding Communists,” said Congress leader K Sudhakaran adding the party should tender an apology to the working class. “It was a self-goal. The submission of the senior leader shows the party has become redundant in its last resort also,” said BJP state president K Surendran.