CPI(M) in Kerala tightens moral code for members

PALAKKAD: Taking serious note of moral aberrations like consumption of alcohol by a section of the party, CPI(M) in Kerala has decided to tighten the code for its members at all tiers of the organisation from the grassroot level to branch committees.

The party members have also been asked to steer clear of shady business deals like real estate and money lending and strengthen their Marxist-Leninist ideological moorings.

These were some of the vital aspects focussed on by the organisational report presented by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan to the ongoing state party plenum, which began here yesterday.

The plenum was called to strengthen the party by correcting organisational weaknesses in the light of the decisions of last party congress and correction process set in motion by the politbureau a few years back.

The members should declare their assets and sources of income at the time of scrutiny of membership and those who amass disproportionate assets should be expelled.

According to CPI(M) sources, the members and cadres had been asked to be extremely polite in their dealings with the public and should never be arrogant simply because of its mass base and organisational might.

The party cadres had been asked to refrain from activities of religious and caste-based outfits and taking up positions in committees of temples and other places of worship.

The organisational report emphasised the need to expand the support of the party among the minority communities. It noted that Muslims accounted for only 9.56 per cent and Christians 10.09 per cent of the total 4,01,704 lakh party members in the state.

Also, the party wants to enhance the strength of women in its membership base from the present 16 per cent.