The Hindu : CPI(M) call to strengthen third front

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2002

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CPI(M) call to strengthen third front
By K.V. Prasad

HYDERABAD, MARCH 19. The 17th congress of the CPI(M) got under way here today with a strong call to the party cadre to be a catalyst in further developing the third political alternative in the country.

Rejecting the feasibility of a two-party system in a culturally diverse country, the CPI(M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, said efforts should be made to work for stability and longevity of the third alternative, existing in the form of the People's Front.

In his assessment, a vacuum existed in the current political situation with the BJP ``steadily losing ground'' over the last three years and the Congress `unwilling' to abandon the economic policies which affected a vast majority of the working classes.

Mr. Surjeet saw little difference between the BJP and the Congress, charging both with ``representing the ruling classes''. He saw an opportunity for the growth of an alternative with mass struggles and the unity of left and secular democratic forces. He said the People's Front was formed on commonality of views among the constituents, unlike the previous United Front experiment.

The former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu, said the events since the 1998 Kolkata congress vindicated the CPI(M)'s analysis and understanding, as the dangers of imposition of liberalisation policies and rise of communalism had sharpened. He said the recent incidents in Gujarat and developments at Ayodhya were pointers to the path the ``rightist forces'' intended to take the country, threatening its unity.

Criticising the decision of not inviting the Samajwadi Party-led front, despite emerging as the single largest party, to form the Government in Uttar Pradesh, he said: ``Strangely, the Congress, with all its promise to fight against communalism, refused to extend support to the Samajwadi Party in its efforts to form the Government''.

Both Mr. Basu and Mr. Surjeet sharply criticised the foreign policy of the BJP-led Government for turning the country into an ally of the `imperialist' United States and renouncing India's leadership role in tahe Non-Aligned Movement.

Mr. Surjeet reminded the meet to ponder how to overcome a situation in which the CPI(M) was not a ``force'' in most parts of the country.

The CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, said the two Communist parties shared similar views and a way could be found to surmount avoidable conflicts between the two so that ``our political objectives and larger perspective are not adversely affected.'' Even though the CPI has a understanding with the Congress in some States, Mr. Bardhan ruled out ``generally aligning with'' the Congress and stressed that his party stood for an alternative to both the BJP and the Congress.

Delegates from 21 countries, including China, Japan, Nepal, the U.S., Vietnam, Britain and Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation were attending the congress.

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