THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF CPI(M) – THE NAVARATNAS

2024 is the Diamond Jubilee year of the formation of the  Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M). It  was formed in the Party Congress held at Calcutta from 31st October to 7th November 1964 which elected a Politbureau of 9 and the new  Central Committee with Com. P.Sundarayya as the General Secretary. The nine PB Members, who are called the Navaratnas, are Comrades P.Sundarayya, A.K.Gopalan, E.M.S.Namboodiripad,  B.T. Ranadive, M.Basavapunnaiah, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, P.Ramamurthi, Jyoti Basu and Promod Das Gupta.

The 24th Party Congress of CPI(M)  is scheduled to be held at Madurai, T.Nadu, in April 2025. The Conferences from the Branch level to the state level will be completed before the same.

The Indefinite strike of the Central Government Employees and Workers in 1960, in which I  had participated and was victimised, was a turning point in my life. It was only the Left Parties, especially the Communists, which  came forward to support the strike and the victimised workers. This created a great bond first with CPI and then with CPI(M) when it was formed in 1964, and continues till date. My stay at New Delhi for 25 years from 1991 to 2017 and that too very near  to AKG Bhawan, the Central Committee Office of CPI(M), was another opportunity to meet many leaders of the Party. I could also attend the  Party Congresses held at Hyderabad (2002), New Delhi (2005), Coimbatore (2008) and Kozhikode (2012) as Fraternal Delegate. I got the opportunity to attend the Party Conference in U.K. also,  while I was on a visit there, and which was inaugurated by Com.Sitaram Yechury.

At this time of the Diamond Jubilee of the Party,   it is but natural  to remember the great leaders, the 9 PB members  elected at the Calcutta Congress in 1964. I have been fortunate to see all of them either in the All India Conferences of the E.III Union , which I started attending since 1963 or in Federal Councils of NFPTE  as also while visiting Delhi to attend the various All India Conventions organised by the Central Trade Unions or the Confederation of the Central Govt. Employees and Workers . I could personally meet  most of them and get inspired for my future activities. All of them had passed away but their contributions to the people and the Party are well remembered.

I propose to write very briefly about all these 9 comrades one by one in the next posts.

V.A.N.Namboodiri   04.11.2025