The Hindu : National : Our message will be on our chest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 18, 2006

National

National

Our message will be on our chest

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Prakash Karat

CHENNAI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has outlined his party's strategy to reach the people of West Bengal ahead of the elections: wear aprons with the party symbol on it!

"We have told our workers. Just wear an apron with hammer and sickle and go... Lakhs of people in West Bengal will wear hammer and sickle [party symbol] 24 hours of the day. We know how to beat this [EC regulation]," he said.

Pointing to the CPI (M) flags, banners and symbols at the venue of his meeting at Perambur here, Mr. Karat said that in West Bengal, the Commission had banned writing on the walls, posters and banners.

"Even in private houses. That is in Kolkata, in my own house, I cannot put up the party flag. That is the order. Only the candidate can put up the flag in his house," he said and wanted to know why this rule was applied only in West Bengal.

Asserting that the CPI (M) would follow all rules, Mr. Karat said his party would not put up even one poster, flag or banner in West Bengal.

"We will obey the Election Commission's order. But the hammer and sickle is in the hearts of the people. You cannot [it] take out their hearts."

But why were the CPI (M) in particular and the Left parties in general being targeted? "Because there are forces in the country and outside India who want to weaken the CPI (M) and the Left... But we are fully prepared to meet the situation," he said. This was because popular support for the CPI (M) and the Left Front could not be "reduced or switched off. So, other methods are being tried to prevent the CPI (M) and the Left Front winning these elections."

Mr. Karat said it was unusual that the elections were being held in five phases in West Bengal whereas even during the height of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, elections were held in three phases. West Bengal was ruled by the Left coalition for 29 years and it was certain that the Left Front Government would be returned to power for the seventh successive time.

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