The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Left relieved at DPA consensus to oppose Sangh Parivar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Left relieved at DPA consensus to oppose Sangh Parivar

By S. Dorairaj

CHENNAI, DEC. 7 . The leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have heaved a sigh of relief at the constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) evolving a consensus on December 3 to oppose the "Hindutva forces, which attempted to play communal politics with the arrest of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, in the Sankararaman murder case."

"We have a reason to feel happy now as the DPA's focus has not shifted from taking on the Sangh Parivar, particularly when they are waiting in the wings to take advantage of any chinks in the combine's armour," said a Communist veteran.

Both the Communist parties did not conceal their dismay at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leadership's perceived shift in stance on the Sankaracharya arrest issue. The State units of the two parties reacted quickly when the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, who initially hailed the arrest as an honest and commendable move, attributed "political and personal motives" to Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's action against the Acharya.

Analysing the DMK stand, some senior Communist leaders made it clear that they did not have an iota of doubt about the party's firm commitment to steer clear of the Hindutva forces.

After quitting the National Democratic Alliance, the DMK was playing a constructive role in unifying secular and democratic forces at the national level, they claimed.

Caution

However, the State CPI secretary, R. Nallakannu, and his CPI(M) counterpart, N. Varadarajan, cautioned the DPA leader in separate statements against expressing views on the arrest episode, which might be exploited by the "Hindutva elements to divert the issue and incite hatred among people of different communities."

"There is no gainsaying that the principled stand taken by the DPA constituents has resulted in the DMK veering back to its commitment to take on the Sangh Parivar," said sources in the Communist parties recalling the "clarification" issued Mr. Karunanidhi on November 26 that all were equal in the eyes of law.

"It is a welcome sign that all the constituents of the DPA have unanimously adopted a resolution to stage demonstrations at all the district headquarters on Friday protesting against attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh Parivar to play communal politics and the vicious propaganda linking the Centre and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, with the issue, besides focussing on issues such as the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project, reinstatement of road gang mazdoors and flood relief," they said.

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