Communist party of India [opr] split yesterday when. twelve top leaders walked out of the Central Executive Council meeting. This occurred after forty-five minutes of bittor wrangling, 7
The twelve included E.M.S |Namboodiripaa, Bhupesh Gupta and Jyoti Basu. Leaders of the so-called “centrists" in the dispute between. Moscow and Peking, which has torn the party, they joined the toro-= Chinese" wing when the chips were down,
Tho other nine, leaders of the Wleftt wing, were A.K. Gopalan (leader of the CPI group in the lower heuse of parliament), Promod Das Gupta, P. Sundarayya, M. Basavapunniah, P. Ramamurti, Hi.K.Konar, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Jagjeet Singh Layallpuri and M.R.Vonkat Raman, They had been holding faction meetings the past. few days despite orders of the Khrushchevist leadership banning such ‘gathor~ ings as "splitting activity,"
Although the real issue was the differences now separating Peking and Moscow and how these affcct party tasks and perspectives in India, the split occurred on an almost trivial matter. The moecting was started with S.A.Dange in the chair, As soon as the agonda for the National Council was proposed, Namboodiripad demanded that an alleged prison letter written by Dange forty years ago to the British Viceroy should be made point number one. - He was supported in this by the West Bengal leader Jyoti Basu, who also demanded: that Dange should leave the chair while the ques~ tion was being discussed. The majority argued that Dange should stay in the chair and sought to shout down the "leftists."
Despite interruptions from Namboodiripad, Dange suggested that a vote should be taken. The "leftists," however, said thoy would ~ no , longer participate if such "opucial things" were to be decided by a narrow majority."
Bhupesh Gupta offered a compromise formula -- that both the letter and disciplinary issues should be taken together and that the meeting should be adjourned temporarily for personal talks over the situation, This was not acceptable to the "right" faction,
Harsh opithots were exchanged, Namboodiripad is said to have remarked that he would not like to remain in a party presided over by a "British spy,"
Dange is said to have retorted: "Let him go out. What does he think of himself,"
Finally Dange told the dissidonts that "the disruptors can get out," That was the end of the joint meeting,
The remaining eighteen members of the Central Executive Commit~ tee continued their meeting and adopted the agenda which they had proposed for the National Council, ~ This includes a resolution on the “disruptive and antiparty activities" of certain lcading party members; consideration of. the alleged Dange "lctter"; and tasks face ing the mass movement, Thoy also decided to recommend expulsion of seven of the dissident Executive members "for their splitting aotivities.’ .
It later became known that Bhupesh Gupta, leader of the Conmunist group in the Rajya Sabha Lupper house of parliament], had rc signed from the Central Secretariat, the highest policy-making body of the party. He is expected to eventually leave the party but to maintain leadership of the parliamentary group, which may now change its name. Tho resignation is to be considered by the National Coun= ceil. :
“The "pro-Chinese" grouping undoubtedly had plans ready for thoir next step, This may be the immediate declaration of the formation of another Communist party in India.