*CPM veteran found dead, questions rise in party* *- Opaque shroud adds to ‘hounded-to-death’ perception*
MANINI CHATTERJEE http://www.*telegraph*india.com/1100222/jsp/frontpage/story_12135705.jsp#<http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100222/jsp/frontpage/story_12135705.jsp> ** *New Delhi, Feb. 21:** *The discovery of the body of W.R. Varadarajan in a lake near Chennai, suggesting that the CPM stalwart had committed suicide on being demoted and disgraced by the party he had devoted his life to, has evoked a sense of sadness laced with deep outrage among a wide cross section of the party — and could further erode the dwindling image and authority of the central leadership tasked with the challenge of reviving the CPM’s image and fortunes since its electoral debacle last summer. Ordinary cadres as well as senior party leaders, including those who voted in favour of disciplinary action against him at the central committee meeting held in Calcutta in the first week of this month, confessed that they were “in a state of shock” on learning that a leader of his calibre had been “hounded to his death” by the party leadership. One key reason for the bewilderment and anger at the news of Varadarajan’s death was that no one was quite clear why exactly he was removed from all party posts and publicly humiliated at the central committee meeting. The party’s cryptic statement that action had been taken against him for “conduct unbecoming of a communist” was guaranteed to make the real reason even more opaque. Even central committee members who were present when the decision was taken were not very clear about the nature of Varadarajan’s alleged “crimes”. One CC member who admitted a sense of anguish and guilt at going along with the majority decision in Calcutta earlier this month said: “Frankly, it was all very vague. The final charge against him was about some SMSes he had harassed some lady with. I couldn’t understand it — neither, I am sure, could most of the CCMs (central committee members) present that day.” Yet, almost the entire CC — barring five or six members — went along with the leadership’s decision when a show of hands was called for. That took place after the party general secretary Prakash Karat had placed the “unanimous” resolution of the Tamil Nadu state committee recommending action and cited some “rules” to endorse that recommendation. Varadarajan was given a chance to place his version — he denied the charges. But in keeping with “communist culture”, he also said he would accept the decision of the party, sources said. Given the fact that *the party general secretary himself led the demand for action and in the backdrop of the “rectification drive” initiated by the CPM brass at the central committee meeting in Calcutta, even those who may have normally raised questions on the move preferred silence and acquiescence*, sources said. “Looking back, I now realise that we ought to have raised more questions,” a senior leader said. “After all, Comrade Varadarajan (who was *considered an unusually bright and upright party, trade union and mass leader*) had not been charged with rape or serial adultery. At a time when the party is going through a serious crisis on all fronts, was it necessary to take such harsh action against a comrade who had otherwise been so valuable?” Another party member who had seen a lot of Varadarajan when they both lived in close proximity in Delhi admitted that he was “horrified” at the turn of events. Not being a central committee member, he knew even less of the charges against him and confessed that what little he knew had been gleaned from “reports in the bourgeois media” and “ party gossip”. “I think the main charge against him was based on what some lady advocate said. But whatever it was, it did not warrant losing such a good and dedicated comrade.” As for the vague charge of displaying conduct unbecoming of a communist, the CPM insider sarcastically noted: “If that yardstick is applied, we will face a huge depletion of leaders from top to bottom.” Echoing that sentiment, a number of party members said if Varadarajan had been a victim of the party’s “rectification drive”, that drive was doomed to fail. “Rectification ought to be against trends, not individuals — if the leadership starts targeting individuals, *it will end up as a personalised witch-hunt against anyone who does not kowtow to certain leaders or does not belong to the right faction*.” Another comrade said: “In a way, what has happened to Varadarajan is a wake-up call to our leaders. It (the suicide) reveals a leadership that doesn’t understand its cadres. It betrays *a patent lack of sensitivity towards fellow comrades*.” The comrade added: “Varadarajan took great pride in being a communist and the party decision absolutely shattered him. *That the leaders had no idea of what the impact of the decision could be shows how far removed they are from even senior comrades*. After all, the CC could have taken some time, set up its own enquiry, instead of rushing -- *at the behest of some so-called feminist leaders* – in taking action.” Varadarajan’s suicide appears to have triggered so much angst and anguish among even hardboiled Marxists because *it also exposes the double standards adopted by the current leadership*. Communist leaders of an earlier era championed liberal values and lifestyles although “sexual transgressions” have been used even in the past to settle factional scores. But given that top leaders, including those who champion “women’s causes” in public, have often turned a blind eye to such “deviations” when it suited them has only made their moral grandstanding in Varadarajan’s case so much more hollow – and tragic, sources indicated. (*emphases added) * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "grey youth movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to grey-youth-movem...@googlegroups.com . To unsubscribe from this group, send email to grey-youth-movement+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<grey-youth-movement%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> . For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/grey-youth-movement?hl=en-GB. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to greenyo...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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