The Hindu : Front Page : Karat: third front will be cohesive entity, not just electoral alliance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Karat: third front will be cohesive entity, not just electoral alliance

Special Correspondent

It will be founded on three principles, says CPI(M) leader

Opposes strategic partnership with U.S.
Why the government is helping Israel to
wage war, he asks

KOTTAYAM: Reiterating his party’s resolve to forge a third alternative in the country, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has said that the third front would be founded on the three principles of consistent opposition to communalism, agreement on a common minimum programme and a firm commitment to an independent foreign policy and pro-people economic policies.

Inaugurating the 19th State conference of the CPI(M) here on Monday, Mr. Karat said that his party did not want the front to be a mere electoral alliance. The parties that become members of the front must work together and arrive at an understanding on the policies and programmes that they would pursue later.

The significance of the proposal for a third alternative to the Congress and the BJP was evident from the manner in which the BJP had begun attacking it from the day the CPI(M) spelt out its plans in the draft political resolution to be presented at the 19th party congress to be held in Coimbatore.

The BJP saw the third front as an obstacle to its efforts to return to power at the Centre because it could hope to secure a majority in Parliament only if it could pick up a few allies, he pointed out. The CPI (M) general secretary said there was no question of compromising on its fight against communalism and declared that the party would continue to champion the cause of minority rights and social justice.

Criticises Congress

He came down heavily on the UPA government and the Congress for the manner in which issues relating to communalism had been handled during the last four years of UPA rule. The Congress had been adopting an opportunistic stand on communalism. Even in Gujarat, the party was reluctant to confront the communal challenge.

The BJP, which was engaged in a serious bid to come back to power at the national level, was citing the electoral victories it had scored in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh as a sign of things to come. The party was even claiming that it would convert all the States where it comes to power into Gujarats. But in the coming round of Assembly elections, the people would reject the BJP, Mr. Karat asserted.

Flaying what he described as the evolving strategic alliance between India and the U.S., Mr. Karat said the CPI(M) and the Left would not allow any such alliance as that would result in imposition of the neo-liberal economic agenda on the Indian people. The party had already made it clear to the UPA leadership that there was no question of the CPI(M) accepting military collaboration, strategic partnership or nuclear cooperation between India and the U.S.

That the military cooperation between India and the U.S. extended to Israel had become clear with ISRO launching Israel’s spy satellite. Two more Israeli satellites were scheduled for launch from India. These were meant to be used for spying on Palestinian leaders and countries such as Iran in West Asia. “We would like to know from the government why it is helping Israel to wage war with countries in West Asia,” he said and added, “Let the UPA take the issue to the people to get the people’s mandate.”

He pointed out that the effort of the Left in general and the CPI(M) in particular during the last four years of UPA rule had been to ensure that India did not become a junior partner of the U.S. America wanted India as an ally in South Asia, something that would tilt the balance of power globally.

The fight against neo-liberalism in domestic policies was linked to the larger fight against U.S. imperialism. The Left could rightfully claim that during the last three years, it had fought and defeated several policies and initiatives sought to be pushed through by the UPA government.

It could also achieve some success in getting the UPA regime to enact laws to implement the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Forest and Tribals Act.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page