KOZHIKODE: CPM has launched a yearlong awareness course on Marxism, to save its cadres from ideological deviation, as part of the centenary celebrations of October Revolution. State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan inaugurated the initiative of Keluettan Patana Kendram, a party forum headed by former Naxalite K.T. Kunhikannan, on Sunday. In the past, there were regular ‘study classes’ for party workers to “strengthen their ideological base.”
CPM is trying to ensure the presence of leftist academics like Prabhat Patnaik, CP Chandrasekhar and Venkatesh B Athreya, apart from party leaders like Thomas Isaac and M.A. Baby. Mr Balakrishnan said though there were four lakh members, only a few of them graduate into cadres. “The cadres would be strengthened only through continuous party education,” he said. Marxist theoretician K.N. Ganesh, the course director, said it would cover all major elements of Marxism.
“The classes would be organised in a random manner, two or three days in each month,” he said. They revolve around about 35 papers on Marxism. There is a small course fee, and on the faculty, he said, adding academicians, economists and historians had expressed their willingness to be on the faculty. “Many things are happening in the world, and there is a new interest in Marxism,” he said. “So the course would help those interested to get more awareness on interpreting Marxism in the 21st century.” The first sessions on “Why should we learn Marxism?” and “Basic principles of Marxism” would be held on November 26 and 27.
