Explainer: As Left hopes for revival, task is cut out

The buzz at the five-day 25th Communist Party of India (CPI) National Congress in Chandigarh may have ignited some hope of revival for the Left in Punjab, but regaining lost ground remains an uphill task.

The party witnessed the most favourable era in Punjab in 1977 when its candidates won seven Assembly seats with a vote share of 6.6 per cent. No CPI candidate has won any Assembly election since 2002. That year, Nathu Ram won from Malout and Gurjant Singh Kuttiwal emerged as the winner from Pakka Kalan (now Bathinda Rural). The vote share of the party in Punjab dipped to a dismal 0.16 per cent in the 2024 parliamentary polls.

The downfall of the CPI is attributed to several reasons — not evolving with changing times, killing of prominent leaders during the days of terrorism, its firm ideological stand on atheism, emergence of splinter groups, decreasing popularity among the youth, lack of resources, and the failure of its leadership to mobilise people on issues of public and national interest.

The last such national conclave was held in the region in 2005. Party leaders are hopeful that the presence of top leaders — like D Raja, who has been re-elected as the national general secretary ignoring objections to the 75-year age ceiling, national secretary Amarjeet Kaur, Punjab state secretary Bant Singh Brar, trade union leader Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal and former Punjab MLA Hardev Arshi — will infuse new energy among the rank and file.

Bant Singh Brar said, “Even as floods have just hit Punjab, our workers came from all across the state and demonstrated a united spirit. There were representatives from other Left parties, too, including CPI (M) and Forward Bloc. The overall discussion remained focused on how we all need to stand together against the fascist forces in the country. We passed resolutions in favour of Punjab too. Our cadres have gone back all charged up to work for the common cause.”

Swaraj Bir Singh, chairperson of the reception committee, said, “CPI was the third largest party in the 1970s and suffered heavily during militancy days, losing over 100 leaders, including Darshan Singh Canadian, Arjan Singh Mastana and Ravinder Ravi. But we cannot run away from the fact that there have been mistakes by the leadership since they could not make concerted efforts to convert class struggles into big political movements. But, of late, our party and the affiliated trade, employee and farmer unions have been actively taking up issues of farmers affected due to floods and the oppression of migrants. We are hopeful it all adds to the momentum in the days to come.”

Unlike in the rest of Punjab, CPI (M) has remained more active than CPI in Doaba. The region remained the epicentre of activities especially since the late Harkishan Singh Surjeet, national general secretary of the party, hailed from Bundala village of Jalandhar. Top party leaders would often visit Jalandhar during elections and for various party activities.

In Jalandhar, Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall continues to be the venue of activities of most communist parties and trade/employee unions. Ghadri Babian Da Mela, organised in October-end, sees large participation.

In recent years, the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), too, has seen a surge, especially in pockets of Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Ajnala, Bathinda, Kila Raipur and Pathankot. Its general secretary Mangat Ram Pasla, who was earlier the secretary of CPI (M) in Punjab, said, “Unlike other communist parties, we were not even extended an invite by the CPI. Nonetheless, we are all together against the dictatorial right-aligned forces in the country.”