The Left Will Exercise Vigilance In Protecting People’s Interest

 B Prasant

THE CPI(M) and the Left must be ever vigilant to ensure that the Congress-led alliance government emotes an anti-communal and anti-imperialist role and that it also looks after the interests of the toiling masses.  There is no scope for any self-satisfaction.  The roots of the communalism must be destroyed from the political and social fabric in a comprehensive manner. 

CPI(M) Polit Bureau members, Jyoti Basu, Prakash Karat, and Anil Biswas said this at a meeting held at the Promode Dasgupta Bhavan in Kolkata.  The meeting was held to condole the passing away of Comrade E K Nayanar, Comrade Ram Sumer Yadav, and Comrade Gobindo Kundu.  Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M), Biman Basu presided over the meeting that was held under the aegis of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M).

Basu, Karat and Biswas spoke about the anti-imperialism that had motivated Comrades Nayanar, Yadav, and Kundu and said that the CPI(M) had drawn a great deal of political sustenance from its anti-imperialist tradition.  Describing Comrade Nayanar as a ‘man of the people,’ Basu recalled the immense popularity the late Comrade had enjoyed in Kerala and elsewhere.  Basu also reminisced about Comrades Yadav and Kundu. 

Karat spoke about the closeness that Comrade Nayanar maintained with the people and narrated the achievements that the state of Kerala could achieve under his chief ministership.  First, the PDS was strengthened and agricultural workers were provided with pension.  Second, a universal literacy campaign was undertaken.  Third, democratic decentralised planning was adopted.

Biswas said that the three departed stalwarts had remained deep amidst the struggles of the workers and the kisans and had also utilised the forum of parliamentary democracy to advance the struggle.  They remained steadfast in their zeal for advancement of the class struggle.  The present and future generations of the Party could learn much from their lives.

Turning to the national scenario, Jyoti Basu said that the task remained unfulfilled until the forces of communalism could be uprooted completely.  Ideological struggle must be waged relentlessly against it.  Karat said that the defeat of the BJP in the Lok Sabha election was very necessary since otherwise the RSS would have come to the fore. The struggle against the forces of communalism must continue.

Biswas noted that the defeat of the communal forces was largely due to the struggle carried on against it by the CPI(M) and the Left.  The fascists have created a social base.  They have also penetrated the state structure.  They will leave no stone unturned to oust the secular alternate government that is place.  Relentless struggle must be waged for this reason against the forces of communalism in the days to come.

On the CMP, Jyoti Basu said that the government must enact and put in place pro-people legislations or the Left must lodge its strong protest.  On the other hand, the Left must not speak in such irresponsible tone and tenor that the government gets to be in jeopardy.  The Left has already communicated to the government that the policies of the IMF, the World Bank et al must not be followed blindly.  The foreign policy must see the pro-US tilt of the Vajpayee governance gone. 

Karat said that the Left emphasised three aspects while the CMP was in the making.  First, the administration must be freed from the influence of communalism.  Second, the anti-people tilt of the economic policies of the BJP government must be reversed.  Third, an independent non-aligned foreign policy must be established.  The demands have been partly fitted in to the final draft but one must be vigilant to ensure that the Left’s demands are adhered to the maximum extent possible.

Karat expressed his doubts about the execution in practice of the entire CMP.  He did say that the CMP opened a new horizon, which the Left must utilise.  There is now scope to further sharpen the struggle to provide security to the lives and livelihood of the masses.

Biswas said that one must be aware of the limitations of the government that comprised parties who represented the interests of the big bourgeoisie and the big landlords. Yet, the government could not move without the Left say-so, given the present circumstances.  An uncompromising struggle must be waged continuously.

Biswas continued to say that the task of supporting the union government and struggling, whenever necessary, against its principles, was a tough challenge and the Left must prove equal to the task.  “We shall support the government so that the communal forces do not make a come back; and we shall carry forth the struggle whenever we see the toiling masses adversely affected by the government’s policies,” said Biswas.  The Left must also work towards building up and making the third alternative the main political force of the country, he concluded.