Managing Marx: IIM to send interns to CPM

After CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri gave a guest lecture on the ‘Role of Youth in Social and Political Environment in the Country’ at IIMA on December 9, two post-graduate programme (PGP) students approached Director Bakul Dholakia seeking permission to do internship at AKG Bhavan.

Indian Social and Political Environment is a compulsory course for students doing the two-year PGP at IIMA.

Dholakia says this is the first time students have shown interest in doing internship with a political party. “I haven’t received such a request ever before, this is a first. I think Yechuri’s visit and his speech as a guest faculty motivated these students to go for internship with a political party. Their placement issue with CPI(M) headquarters is still in the discussion stage, the paper work is yet to be done, but I think it may work out,” he said.

IIMA’s Anil Gupta, who teaches the Social and Political Environment course, says he is forwarding the names of students seeking internship placements to the CPI(M) office in New Delhi. “I must clarify that this placement is one of the many options that these students are considering and there may be changes at a later stage. We are waiting for a written confirmation from the CPI(M) that they are willing to take the students on internship. If they do, then our students will be placed with a political party for the first time,” he said. Yechuri wrote back, “welcoming the enthusiasm of the students.” Yechuri also wanted to know from the IIMA if the ’ internship would yield any ‘tangible’ results — like a paper or a report— that can be discussed later, or, if it would be purely of academic interest.

Yechuri was the third political leader to be invited by IIMA after Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar.