CPM revives debate on faith

Thiruvananthapuram: A section of party leadership believes that Dewaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran’s worship at Sree Krishna temple was not in consonance with communist way of life. The party expects its leaders to absorb the Marxist world outlook based on dialectical materialism. The issue will be discussed at the meeting on Friday. CPM state secretariat member M V Govindan was the first top leader to come out openly against Kadkampally’s Guruvayur temple worship.

At the study class for the women party workers being held at EMS Academy in Vilappil, he said the minister’s action was not in with Marxist approach which believed in dialectics of materialism. He was responding to questions from the delegates on the minister’s temple worship. The CPM believes in dialectical materialism and offering prayers or conducting religious rituals were against the party’s beliefs, he clarified.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the party would seek explanation from Kadakampally Surendran. “Whatever information we have at the moment about his visit is only through newspaper reports. We will seek an explanation from Kadakampally to know what exactly happened,” he said. When asked whether action would be taken against the minister, Kodiyeri shot back: “How can we take action against anyone without knowing what exactly happened ?

The minister had visited the temple on Ashtami Rohini day and offered pushpanjali on behalf of his family members. Apart from making donation, the minister reportedly offered prayers at the sacred steps of the temple and contributed money for anna danam. However, the minister said those who were intolerant towards the good works that he was doing as devaswom minister were creating unnecessary controversy over his temple visit.   Kadkampally’s action is seen as a clear violation of the guidelines issued in party’s Rectification Document brought by central committee in 2009 and later in State Party Plenum in Palakkad in 2013.