The political crisis that United progressive Alliance government at the Centre is facing because of the tough opposing stand taken by the Left parties and withdrawal of support by Bahujan Samaj Party, in the ultimate analysis, is not a bed of roses for the Left parties either.
The Left parties are striving to give the impression that the Manmohan Singh government's pronounced inclination towards going ahead with the civilian nuclear deal for peaceful purposes with United States of America is only an excuse to get cosy with USA and for future preferential treatment also. But if one were to take an independent view of the developments, issues and concerns, it would seem that the Left parties have chosen to take a myopic view of need to go ahead with development in India.
This stance is very dangerous to take - for the voter and the common man, is most likely to interpret this myopic stance as selfish, anti-progressive and even anti-people. The leaders have made it very clear that they are opposed to the deal with USA and would be willing to examine any other proposal in the coming weeks.
According to reports, Russia has come out in support of the Indo-US nuclear deal, but it has said that a draft agreement with Moscow could not be signed in view of the international laws that Russia recognized. Senior government officials have said that the Russians were always aware that fresh projects not covered under the past agreements could not be initiated without an waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers' Group' but some expression of intent that would have indicated the two sides were imaged, could have been possible. In the earlier discussions- held between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, the Left simply refused to buy the reasoning that concluding an IAEA safeguard agreement could be delinked from the 123 pact with the US.
Even after the Left leaders' meeting with DMK leader M Karunanidhi in Chennai, there was no indication that Left would change its mind about being rigid on the nuclear deal and the UPA government has only till January 2009 to see the deal through - till President Bush hands over power to the next Presidential incumbent.
In spite of their persistence in not letting the deal through, the Left parties in power in the states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura are not in a very comfortable situations in West Bengal, rebellion from the smaller partners like Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party, set back to West Bengal in the wake of early monsoons that found the local administrations unprepared for the onslaught are some of the very tangible issues that they will have to face and tackle in the coming weeks.
Communist Party of India is struggling to keep alive its tag as a national party, with the decline of full time members and lack of elected and nominated members in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It is not very clear whether being stubborn or adamant about such a major development issue at the national level will win the Left parties many followers or supporters in the coming weeks or months.
CPI (M) criticized partner RSP's call for a broader Left Front with Socialist Unity Centre of India and CPI (Marxist-Leninist) on board, saying the move would harm the Front's unity nationally and weaken it in West Bengal. The CPI (M)'s mouthpiece People's Democracy has said in a recent editorial that RSP has adopted a stance which is harmful for left unity nationally and for the strengthening of the Left in West Bengal. The decision taken at its recent central committee meeting and utterances of some of its leaders like Kshiti Goswami and Abani Roy indicate this trend. In Kerala too the differences between the state level leaders like Comrade Peenirayee and Vijayan over land allotment have not brought much glory to the party and the central leadership has had to intervene and issue a fiat against the mud-slinging.
Going back to the West Bengal issues, CPI (M) has pointed out that about 30 party cadres have been killed by Maoist elements in the past two years and still RSP wants to bring them under the Left flag. It observed that they had an alliance with Trinamool Congress in the recent panchayat polls. The CPI (M) asked the RSP is that what qualifies them for joining the Left conclave?
While the CPI (M) takes a high pedestal on Left unity, there is miserly and gloom at the ground level in at least two districts of flood hit West Bengal. More than 16 lakh people have been affected in the flash floods that have inundated West and East Midnapore. Following torrential rain in mid June four people were killed and three reported missing in the two districts. Among those missing was a former assistant of Trinamool Congress leader Ms Mamta Banerjee. One person died in 24 Parganas districts. The Army was called in for rescue and relief operations and the services of Indian Air Force were also requisitioned. But there is no reflection in media about what help or services the district administration or elected bodies rendered to the afflicted people.
Despite these regional setbacks the Left parties (or at least the majority of team) have taken a brazen stand and have denied support to the UPA's nuclear deal proposal. That the UPA may yet have to back off from the proposed deal because of inflation is another matter, but it will certainly not be because UPA has any love lost for the Left parties. What the fate of the Left parties will be in the next Lok Sabha elections due in March/April 2009 is any body's guess, but it is not expected that they will improve on their score in Lok Sabha next time-round- and there is a feeling that BJP may end up taking advantage of the situation- both in number of seats and vote share. So beware!! (CPI (M) Polit Bureau has approved decision to withdraw support if UPA goes ahead with nuclear deal)
Shibani Dasgupta, NPA
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