Thiruvananthapuram, August 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A senior CPI-M functionary in Kerala has raised questions over the party’s ideological direction, invoking the sacrifices of party martyrs, the principles of communism and a warning attributed to Vladimir Lenin about the dangers of arrogance and losing touch with the people.
T. Sashidharan, a member of the CPI-M Thrissur district committee and former state secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), made the observations in a social media post. He did not name former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan or make any direct allegation against him.
However, the timing of the post has drawn political attention, coming amid renewed scrutiny of Vijayan in connection with Enforcement Directorate proceedings involving his daughter Veena Vijayan and criticism of the former Chief Minister from within the CPI-M.
Sashidharan, who is associated with the camp of former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, began by recalling party workers who were killed by political opponents and those who were beaten to death in prisons. He said their sacrifices had helped build the party and create the position it occupies today, including access to power, offices, vehicles and modern facilities.
Reflecting on the political discussions of his youth, Sashidharan recalled the influence of figures and movements including Antonio Gramsci, Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, Naxalism and revolutionary politics. He said the aspirations of that generation centred on humanism, equality and a society free from exploitation.
He also questioned the growing prominence of business and financial dealings, saying such activities and the immorality sometimes associated with them had not traditionally formed part of the party’s way of life.
“The party cannot adopt the curriculum produced by modern capitalism,” he argued, referring to a political organisation that represents millions of people living in poverty.
Although the post contains no direct reference to Veena Vijayan or the ED investigation, its comments on financial dealings have acquired significance against the backdrop of that controversy.
In its strongest passage, Sashidharan invoked Lenin’s warning that political parties can perish through arrogance and by failing to understand the source of their strength.
He called for leadership committed to serving the people and capable of attracting those genuinely willing to work for them. He also stressed the importance of acknowledging mistakes and correcting them quickly.
The post stops short of directly attacking any individual. Its broader message, however, is a call for the CPI-M to ensure that power, privilege and material comforts do not weaken its ideological foundations or distance it from ordinary people.
For a leader identified with the Achuthanandan camp, the intervention carries additional political significance, given the former Chief Minister’s emphasis on austerity, accessibility and opposition to excessive concentration of power.
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