‘At 74, Every Year Is a Bonus’

In Kannur, CPM’s Red Bastion, dissent is rare and perilous, bound by an omertà-like code. V Kunhikrishnan, a party loyalist for five decades, broke ranks by alleging fund diversion by leaders. Now expelled and branded a traitor, he explains why he spoke out. Excerpts from an interview:

CPM is known for its rigid internal discipline, especially in a bastion like Kannur. For a leader of your standing to write a book alleging misappropriation of party funds—including the sensitive Martyr Fund—is unprecedented. What made you take that extreme step?

This decision was not impulsive. It was the result of a long and failed attempt at internal correction. I was forced to go public because all my efforts to address these issues within the party—through internal discussions and by informing the state committee and the leadership—yielded no result. Taking this step has been an agonising experience. After nearly 50 years in the party, it caused a deep internal struggle and mental conflict, which I am still navigating.

My primary concern was whether the party here is heading towards the fate it met in West Bengal, where it collapsed. Similar internal issues played a major role in that downfall. Here too, there is a significant and growing section of party members who are deeply discontented. The difference is that it has not yet erupted as it did in Bengal. If we do not correct our internal flaws now, a Bengal-style explosion is inevitable.

You knew how the party reacts to dissent. Were you fully aware of the consequences, and do the subsequent personal attacks and intimidation make you fear for your safety?

I am 74 years old. At this stage, whatever life I have ahead of me is a bonus. I knew exactly how the party would react and fully understood the repercussions. But I could not remain silent. If the party continues on this path, the progress Kerala has made—to which the party contributed significantly—will be severely undermined. Yes, there are safety concerns. The intimidation comes from a specific, cultivated group groomed to carry out such attacks. They have been behind violent incidents in the past. But they do not represent the majority. I know many comrades who are aware of issues similar to those I have raised but remain silent. Someone had to speak up. I chose to take that responsibility.

Party leaders claim you are acting as a tool of political enemies, especially given the timing ahead of elections. If MP T I Madhusoodhanan is fielded again despite your allegations, what will be your stand?

So far, the party’s approach has been to protect those involved in irregularities. If he is fielded again, it will only damage the party’s credibility among the public. I will decide my stand at that moment. But let me be clear: I will not join any other political party. I have never contested an election and have no such ambitions. As for timing, one of the irregularities uncovered during my audit relates to the 2021 election fund. Two other issues emerged around the same time. If irregularities linked to the 2021 election are not corrected before the 2026 election, then raising them later serves no purpose. That is why I spoke out now.

In your book, you argue that communism remains only in name and that the party has become election oriented. Have the party’s rectification exercises failed?

The party has conducted rectification exercises at least two or three times, but they have failed. The reason is simple: They focus on generalities instead of scrutinising specific individuals. Worse, those responsible for mistakes are often sent to lower committees to explain the rectification process. That is the paradox. Rectification is impossible unless you scrutinize specific leaders and hold them accountable. Democratic centralism is also being misused. It is now a tool to suppress those who raise concerns and protect wrongdoers. Decisions of higher committees must be grounded in truth and justice. If leaders insist it is midnight when the sun is shining overhead, not everyone will accept it. I said this openly in party meetings when the district committee’s decision on the fund controversy was reported to the area committee.

You worked in the cooperative banking sector for nearly four decades. Did that background influence how you audited the party’s accounts?

I was asked to audit only the 2021 election fund collected in Payyannur. But as the area secretary at the time, I needed full clarity before presenting accounts related to two other funds—the Dhanraj Martyr Fund and the area committee office building fund. So, I examined all three.

What I found was shocking. Rs 35 lakh was diverted from the Martyr Fund to the building fund without even informing area committee members. At the same time, Rs 70.5 lakh collected from cooperative sector employees was not included in the building fund accounts. Instead, money from the Martyr Fund was diverted citing a shortage. Had the cooperative sector contribution been properly accounted for initially, there would have been no need to divert the Martyr Fund. There were also irregularities such as the printing of fake election fund receipt books.

Why is the party reluctant to act despite the seriousness of these allegations?

During EMS Namboodiripad’s time, a state secretariat member faced disciplinary action over a discrepancy of just Rs 2,000. Today, the leadership argues that action against leaders requires extraordinary scrutiny because leaders are built over years of hard work. This reasoning is totally wrong. It implies that leaders can commit mistakes without consequence. A communist party is built on collective leadership. No individual is bigger than the party.

Has this personality-driven approach weakened
inner-party democracy?

The leadership increasingly discourages criticism and self-criticism. When I raised these issues in the district committee, they appointed a commission and decided to censure me. This is not an isolated incident. Many comrades feel that survival within the party requires silence. If this continues, the party will cease to be a communist party and will remain merely an election-oriented organization, stripped of its core principles.

Do you believe leaders like P Jayarajan were sidelined for speaking up?

Yes. P Jayarajan should have been inducted into the state secretariat. Instead, M V Jayarajan was chosen. When P Jayarajan contested the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat, he was removed as district secretary. But when M V Jayarajan contested, he was only temporarily relieved and later reinstated. This selective application of rules is widespread.

When did the erosion of Communist values begin? Is continuity in power a factor?

Continuity in power is one factor, but not the only one. Society itself has changed since the 1990s. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the growing obsession with wealth have influenced CPM too. The central committee itself has warned about this trend. Power has dulled the party’s fighting spirit, something essential for a Communist party.

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