Constitution of CPI

The Communist Party of India is the political party of the Indian working class. It is a voluntary organisation of workers, peasants, toiling people in general, intelligentsia and others devoted to the cause of socialism and communism.

The Communist Party of India remains firmly wedded to the goal of a just socialist society in which equal opportunities for all and guarantee of democratic rights will clear the way for ending all forms of exploitation, including caste, class and gender, and exploitation of man by man, a society in which the wealth produced by the toiling millions will not be appropriated by a few. The science of Marxism-Leninism is indispensable for charting the path to such a new socialist system. Of course, this path will be determined by the specific historical conditions obtaining, as well as the particular characteristics and features of our own country, its history, tradition, culture, social composition and level of development. This goal cannot be achieved without hard struggle and a firm commitment to democratic norms and values.

For building of socialism, the achievement of power by the working people, based on socialist democracy, is essential. With unflinching loyalty to the working people and their historic mission, the Communist Party of India will work for the realisation of this mission and go forward to its ultimate goal of establishing a communist society in India.

The socialist society and socialist state of India shall fully safeguard the right of individual liberty, freedom of speech, press, association, conscience and religious belief. It shall also guarantee the right to form opposition parties provided they are committed to abide by the Constitution. The socialist constitution shall always keep vigil and prevent the destruction of democracy and violation of people’s basic rights. The perspective and political policies of the party will be decided on the basis of objective reality. The accumulated experience of our party and the world revolutionary movements shall assist the party in the process. Life has shown that this task cannot be fulfilled by pursuing the capitalist path and as long as the bourgeois class is in control of state power.

The Communist Party of India organises itself and its work on the basis of democratic centralism and on full inner party democracy. The party also firmly believes that unity in action is indispensable. The decisions of the Party Congress and the National Council shall be binding on all party units and party members. Minority opinions on substantial political issues shall be made known to all party units and party members. Formation of factions and groups on the basis of political, organisational or opportunist reasons shall not be permissible. The party believes in free and frank debates. The party shall respect dissenting opinions.

Imbued with lofty ideas of patriotism, the Communist Party of India upholds the independence and sovereignty of India, fights for national unity and national integration, firmly opposes all disruptionist and obscurantist conceptions, communalism, revivalism, untouchability, casteism, religious intolerance and discrimination against and denial of equal rights to women and fights against chauvinism and bourgeois nationalism. The Communist Party of India also firmly upholds the right of all sections of our society to profess the faith of their choice and practice, but it shall not permit preaching of hatred against any religion.

The Communist Party of India shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy, and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

The Communist Party of India shall strongly fight for the cause of social justice. The age-old outlook and practices of social inequality are very strong in our society. Social and economic inequality has become a most formidable block to the advance of our society. The fight against caste thinking and caste practices is essential for the unity of our people. Noble traditions, historical experience, rich cultural heritage and valuable teachings of great social reformers and thinkers of our country will help the party to cultivate scientific temper and socialist ideals.

Fight for peace and against neo-colonialism along with fight for a just society is common ground for all progressive forces of the world. Adhering to the principle of independence, equality and non-interference, the Communist Party of India shall make every effort to build friendship with other parties of the working people and the forces fighting against imperialism and for social progress. The Communist Party of India firmly believes that real and basic interests of the people of the world are the same and hence we stand for proletarian internationalism. Solidarity with just and progressive causes in other parts of the world will help our own struggle.

ARTICLE I – Name

The name of the party shall be the Communist Party of India.

ARTICLE II – Emblem

The emblem of the party shall be a crossed Hammer and Sickle in white against a red background with a circular inscription in white: Communist Party of India

ARTICLE III – Flag

The flag of the party shall be a Red Flag of which the length shall be one-and-a-half times its width. At the centre of the flag there shall be a crossed hammer and sickle in white.

ARTICLE IV – Membership

Any Indian citizen, eighteen years of age or above, who accepts the programme and constitution of the party, agrees to work in one of the party organisations, to pay regularly the party membership fee and levy and to carry out decisions of the party shall be eligible for membership.
New members are admitted ...
The general body meeting ...
If a leading member ...
Members once expelled ...
Candidate members ...
The party branch or unit ...
By the end of the period ...
The higher unit may ...
If no decision to extend ...
A member may transfer ...

ARTICLE V – Party Pledge

All candidates as well as full members shall sign the party pledge:

“I accept the aims and objectives of the party and agree to abide by its constitution and loyally to carry out decisions of the party.
I shall strive to live up to the ideals of communism and shall selflessly serve and fight for the working class, the toiling masses and the country, always placing the interests of the party and people above personal interests.”

ARTICLE VI – Party Membership Cards

On admission to membership, every party member shall be issued a membership card.
Party cards shall be uniform ...

ARTICLE VII – Renewal of Membership

There shall be an annual renewal ...
Renewal of party membership ...
A report on such renewal ...
The state council and ...

ARTICLE VIII – Resignation from Party Membership

A member wishing to resign ...
The party branch or unit ...
In the case where a member ...
All such cases of resignations ...

ARTICLE IX – Membership Fee

All members, full as well as candidate, shall pay a party membership fee of Rs 5 (five rupees) per year. This annual fee shall be paid at the time of admission or renewal.

ARTICLE X – Distribution of Party Fee

Party fee collected shall be distributed as follows:

20% for the National Council
40% for the State Council
40% for District Council, Branch, and Local Unit (as decided by the State Executive)

ARTICLE XI – Party Levy

The state executive and the national executive shall fix levies on members in accordance with guiding rules approved by the National Council.

ARTICLE XII – Duties of Party Members

The duties of members are as follows:

(a) To regularly participate ...
(b) To fight for the interests ...
(c) To study the science ...
(d) To read, support ...
(e) To observe the party ...
(f) To place the interests ...
(g) To fight consistently ...
(h) To cultivate comradely relations ...
(i) To practise criticism ...
(j) To be frank, honest ...
(k) To safeguard the unity ...
(l) To defend the party ...
(m) To deepen their understanding ...

Every party organisation, member, and candidate shall protect the party against anti-party influences and factionalism.
It shall be the task of party organisations to ensure the fulfillment of these duties.

The New Age

Constitution of the Communist Party of India