Communism does not survive without identifying some section of society as a class enemy, and if party members fail to comply, they face punishment. A similar incident occurred in the CPM, where a Panchayat President was demoted from an Area Committee member to a Branch Committee member, in the party structure. The reason was lighting a lamp before Bharatmata at a house-handing ceremony organised under the auspices of Sevabharati, the RSS-inspired service organisation.
Action was taken against Thalakkulathur Panchayat President K.T. Prameela of Kozhikode district, who lit the lamp during a function on 3 September 2025 to hand over the keys of a house built with the financial assistance of Union Minister Suresh Gopi. The programme, organised under the auspices of Sevabharati, the RSS-inspired service organisation. The disciplinary action was implemented on 12 September.
Prameela previously held the position of Area Committee member of the CPM, a coveted rank in the party structure in Kerala, positioned just below the powerful District Committee. She has now been demoted to the lowest level, the Branch Committee.
Other participants at the event included BJP State Vice-President and Rajya Sabha MP C. Sadanandan Master, along with Valsan ji, RSS Uttar Kerala Pranth Seva Pramukh.
The disciplinary action against Prameela is significant because the image of Bharatmata is a hated symbol for both the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
In June 2025, ministers from both CPI and CPM boycotted Raj Bhavan functions for the same reason. Agriculture Minister P. Prasad skipped the state-level World Environment Day celebrations, while Education Minister V. Sivankutty boycotted another Raj Bhavan event on 19 June. Both boycotts had a single agenda: to oppose any programme displaying a decorated image of Bharatmata. Party leaders have even gone so far as to insult Bharatmata, dismissing her as “a woman carrying the RSS flag”. On this issue, Congress and the UDF stand as birds of the same feather.
Again, on June 25, 2025, the CPM attempted to disrupt an anti-Emergency programme at the University Senate Hall, Thiruvananthapuram, where Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar was scheduled to speak.
The latest Kozhikode incident makes it clear that the CPM remains unwilling to show any respect to Bharatmata, come what may.
It is quite interesting to note that on public platforms and in gatherings, the Communists speak in a promising tone, claiming to welcome the ideas of their opponents and presenting themselves as the most tolerant politicians across the globe, while accusing others of intolerance. In reality, however, the opposite is true, as the party’s words and actions never align.
