The Workers’ Party of Ireland sends its solidarity and best wishes to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and other progressive forces within the Left Democratic Front (LDF), as it contests Legislative Assembly elections in Kerala today.

The Left Democratic Front, led by the CPI-M, enters the elections amidst the turmoil of a global pandemic, and on the back of its significant achievements in stemming the tide of that pandemic in Kerala. The pandemic has shown just how weak decades of neoliberal government have left public healthcare systems in Western countries. At the same time, even ardent opponents of communism in the West were forced to recognise the incredible achievements of the CPI-M and LDF in relation to the pandemic. 

The context in which the LDF has governed since 2016 has been made exceptionally difficult by the increasingly extremist actions of the national BJP government, led by Narendra Modi. In particular, national government’s failure to provide any form of meaningful assistance to Kerala following the devastating 2018 floods, was a form of sabotage against the achievements and progress of the governing Left Democratic Front.  

Nationally, the BJP’s Hindutva extremism has fanned the flames of sectarianism and, increasingly, anti-communism. This context has made the struggle of the CPI-M more difficult and at the same time more urgent. 

Against this backdrop, the organisation, vibrancy and discipline of the CPI-M’s work in Kerala is remarkable.  

Finally, the Workers’ Party commends the continued work and support of CPI-M members and supporters living in Ireland, both through their promotion of the CPI-M and LDF at times like this, and through their activism in many community organisations, solidarity initiatives and trade unions here in Ireland.      

The Ard Comhairle of the Workers’ Party  

6th April 2021