People's Democracy

Editorial

Left Bashing At Whose Behest?

LEFT bashing, in fact CPI(M) bashing, for its opposition to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal is, indeed, reaching a crescendo. The drumbeaters of US imperialism and the cheer leaders of India Inc. continue to mount a scurrilous attack through a web of fabrications against the CPI(M) which are far removed from both rationality and fact.  The latest is a vituperative tirade against the CPI(M) for blocking the Indo-US nuclear deal by a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, G Parthasarathy (`Red Star over South Block', The Times of India, June 9, 2008).  The running theme of such slander is that the CPI(M) is �determined to make India a client state of China�.

Similar unfounded attacks were mounted earlier.  Needless to add, they will continue because of very strong potential benefits for the vested interests in trying to discredit the CPI(M) and the Left, on the one hand, and curry favour with the Indian ruling classes and US imperialism, on the other.  A former senior officer of India's intelligence apparatus slanderously wrote that the CPI(M) is �driven by China's concerns� (`The Manchurian candidates' by B Raman, Hindustan Times, August 21, 2007). Without an iota of substance, amongst the thrash of fabricated abuse, he hurled preposterous charges that CPI(M) leaders had forced the present UPA government to issue visas to 1000 Chinese engineers. With such disinformation guiding our intelligence apparatus, in the past, it is no wonder that India lost one prime minister and one former prime minister to assassins and continues to pay a heavy price due to intelligence lapses. Thanks to small mercies, this gentleman has now retired.  Such writings, however, could well be with an eye to seek lucrative post-retirement occupations.  

India & Inc. has joined the chorus with the FICCI secretary general airing similar allegations (`Sabotaging India's Rise' by Dr Amit Mitra, The Times of India, April 10, 2008). Since the tenor and content of all these and other such attacks against the CPI(M) are similar, let us take up the main argument that our opposition to the nuclear deal is at the bidding of China.  

Those who know of the CPI(M)'s birth and history  will know that for nearly two decades both the international communist giants - the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of China - opposed  the CPI(M)'s policies  from different perspectives.  The CPI(M)'s policy directions are always determined by its own perceptions of what is in the interests of India and its people. Those who are willing to eagerly surrender India's sovereignty to US imperialism  will do well to refrain from offering unsolicited advise  and certificates of patriotism.  If our detractors are worthy of character and substance, then  they ought to meet our arguments on their merits, not through perfidy.  

It is aggressively argued that  any attempt to cap India's nuclear strategic capabilities will immensely benefit both China and Pakistan.  Who, may we ask, is vigorously pursuing  this Indo-US nuclear deal  which, as is well-known, will limit India's strategic capacities, thus, providing advantage to our neighbours? Could we, then allege that those promoting this deal are acting at the behest of China and Pakistan?

Such slander apart, we are charged with preventing India's energy augmentation by opposing this deal.  Particularly, at a time when global oil prices are soaring. However, consider the following facts. India's current power generation is  127 gigawatts (gw).  At the current rates of growth of GDP, this needs to grow to 337 gw by 2016-17. There is no doubt that if this is not achieved, India's pace of development would be severely restricted. The moot question, however, is whether nuclear energy expansion is the only, or, the best option that we have today?

In 2006, 3.9 gw of nuclear  power was generated, 3 per cent of India's total power generation.  In the most optimistic scenario, after the operationalisation of this deal, this would grow, at best, to 20 gw by 2016, or just over 6 per cent of the projected generation.

Further, is nuclear power cost-effective?  On the contrary, it is the most expensive  option.  As compared to coal, it would be one and a half times more expensive.  Compared with gas, it is twice as expensive.  So is the case with hydro electricity.  

Given the abundance of coal reserves in India, the Planning Commission estimates that thermal energy would dominate power generation in India. As far as hydro electricity is concerned, given the potential of nearly 150 gw, only 33 gw has been installed as of 2006.  In addition, over 55,000 MW could be imported from Nepal and Bhutan.  The tapping of such huge hydro potential will not only augment  our energy  capacities at half the cost of  nuclear energy, but will also tame these rivers which regularly consume the lives of thousands.

Thus, the government's argument that the Indo-US nuclear deal is to augment our energy resources sounds untenable.  Huge commercial orders running into thousands of crores of rupees for the purchase of nuclear reactors would be placed on US firms.  The profit bonanza to multinational corporations is there for all to see with the attendant benefits to sections of corporate India.  Recollect that for more than three decades the USA has not installed new nuclear power reactors! Is India then actually going in for this deal to bolster US economic interests?  If the same amount of resources were to be spent  on generating power through hydro, thermal, gas, clean non-renewable and solar electricity, India's energy augmentation would be many times higher.  Thus,  the nuclear deal not only exposes India to greater vulnerability in areas of strategic security concerns and independent foreign policy as noted in these columns in the past, it drains a huge amount of our scarce resources.

This deal has substantive implications for India's sovereignty in the future.  Instead of meeting these issues,  a web of fabrications based on so-called extra territorial loyalties of the Left is woven. Similar slanderous allegations mounted by the BJP at its recent national executive meeting were dealt with in these columns last week. Particularly, how the BJP-led NDA government reiterated India's stated position that Tibet is an integral part of China.  

In this current conjuncture, in the post bipolar Cold War world, the natural tendency in international relations is  for  the movement towards multi-polarity. US imperialism  seeks to subvert this  by imposing a unipolarity under its tutelage. India's role in the comity of nations will be determined by  its championing of multi-polarity and its traditional leadership role of the developing countries. Any alignment with US imperialism to impose unipolarity will dissolve India's distinctiveness in world politics. This is precisely  what the Left  seeks to  prevent in the interests of India and its people.