Not many in CPM to shed tears for Sasi

KANNUR: Yet another chapter in the CPM history is coming to a close with the reported decision of the party state committee to show P Sasi the door. Eventually, when state committee of the CPM was forced to expel the former district secretary of the party, there were not many in the party to shed tears for him except a section of the Kannur lobby.There is nothing new in errant Communists or those deviating from the party-line getting the sack from the party. Beginning with the virulent M V Raghavan, the sword of discipline had struck at many, the big as well as small, in the party. The latest in the series is A P Abdullakutty. Expulsion from the CPM entailed a lot of political harassment to them, but it didn’t mean ‘political death’ to both who represented two generations of Communists. They managed to survive in politics, and their political careers continued to thrive. At the same time, there were others who quietly withdrew from public life after being ousted from the party.  But, Sasi’s impending exit from the CPM has a difference.  Not many followers or leaders of the party had been expelled from the party on moral grounds.  There had been  plenty of allegations against party leaders in the past.  Unfortunately, Sasi set another record forcing his party leadership to place the character of party functionaries virtually under a moral scanner.Women’s outfits in the state were up in arms against  Sasi ever since charges of misbehaviour with women were levelled against him by responsible party functionaries.  The wing of the party led by V S Achuthanandan has been baying for his blood right from the beginning. The latest to join the chorus was P K Sreemathy, the former minister. By now, the saviours of Sasi had lost much of their ground. And, that possibly explains the eventual decision of the state committee to expel him.  Unlike what M V Raghavan and A P Abdullakutty couldn’t have done, Sasi is trying to build up a legal practice as a member of the Thalassery Bar. The former district secretary’s reactions to the action against him taken by his party were subdued so far.