Nandan Maniratnam attracts Coimbatore CPM Congress
In the midst of all the Political stalwarts at the CPI(M) Party Congress Coimbatore, a young 16-year-old boy is the real star attraction. He is Nandan Maniratnam, son of celebrated filmmaker Mani Ratnam and Actor and director Suhasini, who is working as a volunteer with the foreign delegates at the conference.On Monday, scores of journalists and television crews were seen chasing the handsome young man for some comments on his book Contours of Leninism, which will be released by West Bengal’s finance minister Asim Dasgupta at the congress on today.
When the boy finally agreed to speak to the media, it was only after getting clearance from party seniors. "I am not a member of the party. I am not old enough to be one," he said, appearing distinctly uncomfortable with the media attention. When asked if his parents approved of his association with the Left, Nandan shot back: "There are so many young volunteers around here, but you are not asking them how their parents feel about it."
Nandan has already authored a book - "Contours of Leninism". He presented a copy of the book to CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat on Monday.
Nandan’s association with the CPI (M) began nine months ago. "He came on his own. He has read Marx, Lenin and others. But he is not a member of the party," said Tamil Nadu CPI(M) secretariat member G. Ramakrishnan.The boy’s Marxist work was published by Barathi Puthagalayam, which is run by the party. The author does not really like to call it a book."It’s a pamphlet, hardly 27 pages. It’s on Lenin and all those influenced by him like Stalin and Mao," he said.
The article shows his vast knowledge about the party and its policies," said a CPI-M leader from Tamil Nadu. According to Nandan, this is the only party that stands for the working class. "India exists predominantly for the working class and peasants. Marxism will have enormous influence on them," he said.
Nandan's article on liberalisation appeared in Tamil communist magazine Marxist.
It is interesting how this Class 12 student managed to absorb Marxism in such minute detail despite being a student at the elite American International School in Chennai’s Taramani locality. His pamphlet has impressive interpretations of abstract Marxism. "Marxism is the most cogent theory and practice ever devised. So it is but natural that anyone is attracted. It is essentially a scientific approach to class struggle," said Nandan confidently when a reporter asked how he had been attracted to the ideology of the party. "Anyone who is interested in an honest assessment of the working class struggle will be attracted to Marxism," added Nandan.The boy insisted there was no particular reason or factor that had drawn him to Marxism. "I wasn’t inspired by any one thing, but then Marxism doesn’t need any inspiration."What are his plans: a Marxist political career, perhaps? No comment. A diffident smile, a shrug and he was gone, back to the fold of the Marxists.
