The Hindu : National/Elections 2004 : Q & A : Manik Sarkar

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Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

Q & A : Manik Sarkar

`The Congress is still secular'

Having won the 2003 Assembly elections, which he dubbed as the "toughest and fiercest," the Tripura Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar, now looks forward to the ruling CPI (M) winning both the Lok Sabha seats with a bigger vote share. He believes a thumping victory for the CPI (M) in the Lok Sabha polls in Tripura will help it increase its influence in other States and strengthen the Left forces. Excerpts from his interview with Sushanta Talukdar:

With just two Lok Sabha seats, Tripura does not have much numerical importance in the power game at the Centre. Then how is the April 22 Lok Sabha election important for your party?

True, numerically Tripura does not have much of a role to play as we have only two seats. But still the coming elections in our State are important for us as we want [the] installation of a secular government at the Centre and to stop the communal BJP from coming back to power. The effort of our party is to ensure that victory of our candidates is backed by massive public support. Hence it is important for us not just to retain both the Lok Sabha seats but [also] to increase the vote share. Our victory in both the seats with increasing vote share is sure to influence the people in other States about the importance of strengthening the Left and secular forces. People of those States will start giving serious thought as to why more and more the people of Tripura support the Left Front.

While your party is talking of backing the Congress in the installation of a secular government at the Centre, in Tripura the two parties will have to fight each other. How will you explain this contradiction to the voters?

Our party has been striving for the installation of a secular government as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA. Since the Left parties are still not in a position to provide the required alternative our party has expressed its willingness to back the Congress in the formation of a secular government. After all, going by the pronounced policies of the Congress, the party has not given up its secular agenda. However, I have no hesitation in saying that it was because of the wrong and opportunistic policies of the Congress that the BJP grew. Similarly, I will not hesitate to tell the voters that the role of the Congress in Tripura is still negative and anti-people.

The political equation in Tripura has changed with the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) joining hands with the BJP-Trinamool Congress combine. During the 2003 Assembly elections the INPT allied with the Congress. How will this affect the prospects of your party in the coming Lok Sabha election?

It will only help us increase our vote share. The INPT is like a chameleon. It has no mass support and changes its colours to suit the self-interest of its leaders. On the other hand the BJP has struck a poll alliance with the INPT against which it spat venom during the Assembly elections held last year for its links with militants. The people will never support these parties for their doublespeak.

Apart from formation of a secular government at the Centre, what will be your other election plank?

The success of the Left Front Government in Tripura. We have constructed roads, school buildings, provided facilities for safe drinking water. Besides, we are generating avenues of self-employment, undertaken schemes for power generation and have improved road, rail and telecommunication.

But the State BJP leaders have claimed that all these development activities were to the credit of the NDA government ...

It is not a question of who should take the credit. What is important for the people is that whether the benefits of the development works have reached them or not. And if the question of the Central Government taking the credit comes, it is its duty to provide sufficient funds to the States. After all, the country's exchequer comprises the contribution of each and every citizen. It is the people's money and must be used for the welfare of the people.

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