The Hindu : National : Left unity needs to be further strengthened: Bardhan

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Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

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Left unity needs to be further strengthened: Bardhan

By K.V. Prasad

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30. Unity among the Communist parties was the dominant theme at the inaugural session of the 19th party congress of the Communist Party of India that opened here amid the mounting criticism of the economic policies pursued by the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre.

The leaders of the Left parties were emphatic on the need to coordinate and work out a strategy to promote growth. There was a suggestion that the Communist parties should take the lead to occupy the political space vacated by the Congress party. The political compulsion for supporting the United Progressive Alliance Government from outside despite differences in approach and attitude with the Congress was stressed. The congress began with veteran CPI leader, Satypal Dang, hoisting the party flag.

The Left leaders, Harkishan Singh Surjeet of the CPI (M), Debabrata Biswas of the All-India Forward Bloc and Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, shared the dais at the opening session, which began with a speech by the CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan.

Mr. Bardhan said that while the Left parties have always stood for the farmers, workers and the toiling masses, experience showed that there was need for closer coordination. This was needed ``both at leadership level outside, and also at the parliamentary level, so as to do away with any possibility of confusion in deciding our stand and tactics on complicated issues that come up.''

The CPI leader said that Left unity has to be strengthened and consolidated to face the challenges facing the country. ``The CPI and the CPI (M), which are the core of the Left Front and the base of Left unity, have to work in close cooperation and unity,'' he said, adding that the congress would discuss the issue.

Mr. Surjeet asserted that to accomplish the political tasks, Left unity was paramount and strengthening it and increasing its intervention to use the favourable opportunities available was essential.

Common heritage

``CPI (M)-CPI cooperation is at the heart of bringing about a higher level of Left unity. We share a common and glorious heritage of the Communist movement. We also had to separate because of political and ideological differences that affected the strategic perspective over a period of time. [The] Communist in India must remain true to Marxism-Leninism and apply it creatively to Indian conditions. This is the way to resolve differences and strengthen the Communist movement in the country,'' Mr. Surjeet said. Later, the CPI(M) leader said unity should not be confused with unification.

The AIFB general secretary, Debabrata Biswas, urged the CPI to take the lead role in occupying the political space being vacated by the Congress, especially in the Hindi-speaking region as it has the network and spread.

The RSP central committee member, Abani Roy, too echoed similar views and warned that the Left parties could not afford to ignore how the Congress in West Bengal was getting close to the Trinamool Congress in order to throttle the ruling coalition there. He said that unfortunately the Left parties, which spoke for the rights of the working classes the world over, were increasingly finding it difficult to do so at home.

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