The Hindu : National : `UPA must take pro-people steps for stable tenure'

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Friday, Jan 21, 2005

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National

`UPA must take pro-people steps for stable tenure'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 20. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today asserted that it was up to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to ensure that its Government had a stable tenure by taking pro-people steps in the Common Minimum Programme and by maintaining its political cohesion.

Underlining that the UPA Government was pursuing the same economic policies as the previous National Democratic Alliance Government, the CPI (M) reaffirmed its goal of forging a third alternative though it did not foresee anyimmediate possibility.

"We are presenting our approach during the last eight months to the UPA Government for discussion by the party Congress," the Polit Bureau member, Prakash Karat, said while releasing the draft political resolution for the 18th party congress to be held here between April 6 and 11.

The party general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, and Polit Bureau member, Sitaram Yechury, were also present.

Over the next two months, the 48-page draft would be discussed in the party and based on suggestions, a final draft would be prepared for further discussion and adoption by the congress. Besides an exhaustive comment on the political situation, the draft devotes a substantial portion to the international situation and the party's views on it, promising to intensify the struggle against imperialism.

Noting that the UPA Government was pursuing the same policies of liberalisation and privatisation, the drafts states that notwithstanding certain policy measures in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), the Government was "unwilling to change course." It highlights areas of differences such as raising foreign direct investment caps in telecom and insurance, proposal to allow takeover of Indian private banks by foreign banks and circumvent the commitment not to privatise profitable public sector undertakings.

`Hindutva'

It also warns of the latent strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party/Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, stating that these organisations were on the defensive after the setbacks in Parliament and Maharashtra Assembly elections and though their tactics to revive its Hindutva agenda may not have yielded popular support, the potential for their comeback exists.

The draft also elaborates on the intensification of the caste appeal in electoral politics and the formulations of the political forces on caste lines stating that this hampers the development of democratic movements and perpetuates patronage politics around caste leaders.

On the attitude to the UPA Government, it states, that support was extended so that levers of State power does not remain with the BJP-led NDA. "It is up to the UPA to ensure that its Government has a stable tenure by implementing the pro-people measures in the CMP and by maintaining its political cohesion." The CPI (M) and the Left should continue to press the UPA Government to see that positive features in the CMP are implemented and carried forward.

Third alternative

Stressing on the independent role for the party, the draft also visualises a non-Congress-non-BJP alternative based on common policy programmes, joint campaigns and movements by bringing together other Left and Democratic parties. This cannot be equated to temporary electoral understanding and alliances forged to meet immediate electoral aims.

The CPI (M) leaders said the United Front and People's Front experience were all steps towards forming a third alternative that would emerge as the political situation matures.

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