Prakash Karat

MUMBAI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Monday that terrorism could not be ended until communalism was wiped out.

Addressing a public meeting as a part of the CPI (M)'s ongoing nation-wide campaign, Mr. Karat said terrorism would remain with communalism. He demanded cautious action against terrorism.

Mr. Karat said in Gujarat, Muslims lived like second-class citizens, were unable to return to their villages which they had left after the riots and their children were not getting admissions to schools. Urging the Centre to intervene in the matter, he said the Constitution empowered it to take measures to protect fundamental rights.

Minorities being attacked

He said minorities were being attacked in all Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled States and also in Orissa, where the party was a partner in the ruling coalition. "But what the Congress, the second largest party in those States, is doing there? Have they taken to the streets in protest," he asked.

Mr. Karat said that whenever the CPI (M) criticised the Congress-led UPA Government for deviating from the Common Minimum Programme or pursuing anti-people policies, the Congress would ask it not to do so as it would benefit the BJP.

"We know how to fight the RSS on ideological, organisation and political fronts and the BJP has not been able to win even a single seat in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura where the CPI (M) and Left parties are strong."

Mr. Karat alleged that the Congress was following the foreign policy of the erstwhile BJP Government, which had changed the country's old policy of non-alignment and adopted a pro-U.S. stand. This was in spite of the Common Minimum Programme's calling for an independent foreign policy with a view to ensuring the emergence of a multi-polar world, and not a unipolar one with the U.S. as the only superpower.

He said that the present India-U.S. nuclear deal had to be seen in this context. The deal should not be finalised without the approval of Parliament. All foreign pacts should be subjected to Parliamentary scrutiny and debate, he added.

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