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“We need allies to rally against BJP, Congress”

Special Correspondent

Third alternative is not easily realisable, says Karat

NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Saturday said that the Left parties were facing three major challenges — the impact of globalisation and pursuit of neo-liberal policies; increasing collaboration of the ruling classes with imperialism that poses threat to sovereignty and independent foreign policy; and communal designs that threaten the secular fabric.

Recalling that the 18th party congress in 2005 had identified communalism and renewed push for neo-liberalism as two key areas of concern for the Left parties to wage struggle, Mr. Karat said the fight against communalism was intricately connected to imperialism.

He was addressing a national convention on “The Role of the Left in the changing political scenario in India,” organised by the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Communist Party of India general secretary A. B. Bardhan, his RSP counterpart T.J. Chandrachoodan and G. Debarajan of the Forward Bloc also addressed the conclave.

Mr. Karat said that in the past four years the Left parties had learnt that it was not a question about the BJP or the Congress-led governments but their collaboration with imperialism that had to be taken seriously.

On the India-U.S. nuclear deal, he said: “All measures were taken contrary to the Common Minimum Programme. The Left placed some brakes on it. We called for big struggles and the general strike called on August 20 will be a precursor to further movements,” he said.

The CPI (M) general secretary cautioned against the “open invasion” of big business and the corporate sector working with bourgeois parties. “The link is very clear but I am not coming to any conclusion,” Mr. Karat added.

He said the Left could have joint actions with regional parties on a number of issues affecting the people. “We still need allies who will rally with us against BJP and Congress and we will have to draw these parties on issue-to-issue basis. We can have a broad platform and exchange our views. [The] Third alternative is not easily realisable,” he said.

Mr. Bardhan stressed upon expansion of the Left parties in the Hindi belt and said there was a need to broaden Left unity and make it a more powerful force in the country.

The leaders also dwelt upon the issue of inclusion of Left wing extremists on a broader Left platform but it elicited mixed response from major parties. Mr. Karat was of the view that the naxalites would have to change their mindset if they are to be taken onboard.

Responding to Mr. Chandrachoodan who favoured winning over “ideologically misguided” Leftists, Mr. Karat said it was “very difficult” to conduct any dialogue with Maoists who consider all those who are “sold out” to ruling class should be eliminated.

Nepal experience

“In Nepal, the Maoists learned from their experience that in 21st century one cannot ignore democracy and then they decided to join the process. The decision came from their own experience. In any appeal to Maoists, they should be told to learn from the experience,” he said.

Differing with him, Mr. Bardhan said the mainstream Left should fight against the government’s attempt to “club our naxalite brothers” who worked for the welfare of the poor with extremists.

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