Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Left divided on attitude to DMK

By Suresh Nambath

CHENNAI MARCH 13. Just when the CPI (M) is overcoming its differences with the CPI over the attitude to the Congress, the two Left parties have developed divergence on another prospective electoral partner, DMK.

After much persuasion by the CPI, the CPI (M) diluted its anti-Congressism to the extent of providing covert support to that party in the Sattankulam Assembly byelection. Ironically, the CPI (M) is now closer to the Congress position on the nature of relations with the DMK, which continues to remain in the National Democratic Alliance despite making anti-Hindutva noises.

Both the Congress and the CPI (M) stayed away from yesterday's meeting organised by the DMK to discuss ``misuse'' of the Prevention of Terrorism Act by the AIADMK Government. The reason: they did not want the DMK to parade itself as part of the secular front while remaining in the BJP-led NDA.

Although all the three— the CPI, the CPI (M) and Congress — attended an earlier meeting held to discuss the arrest of the DMK MLA, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, the CPI (M) and the Congress did not want to identify themselves too closely with the DMK in the absence of any commitment from its president, M. Karunanidhi, on quitting the NDA. The DMK, they felt, was using the secular parties to keep its options open and increase its bargaining powers with the BJP.

Leaders of the CPI (M), explaining the distinction between the meeting held to condemn the arrest of Mr. Ilamvazhuthi, which they attended, and the POTA meeting, which they boycotted, say the general rule is that the party will stay away from meetings organised by the DMK so long as it continues in the NDA.

The Parithi meeting was an exception as the issue involved democratic rights within the Assembly. Mr. Ilamvazhuthi, they point out, was arrested for his remarks in the House. Earlier too, there were instances of the CPI (M) cooperating with parties outside its alliance on issues which figured inside the Assembly.

But actually, the CPI (M), after sending the right signals to Mr. Karunanidhi on the Parithi issue, does not want to be taken for granted by the DMK. The Congress thinking too is on similar lines. Significantly, the cooperation on the Parithi issue came prior to the Sattankulam byelection, during which the Congress was looking for help from all quarters. Now, the party like the CPI (M), wants to adopt a tough attitude to the DMK strategy of coordinating with the secular parties without walking out of the NDA.

The CPI, however, views the situation differently. While being critical of the DMK position of alliance with the BJP at the Centre and coordination with the secular parties in the State, CPI leaders see nothing wrong in offering issue-based support to the DMK. Although they are conscious that the DMK is trying to gain political mileage out of its association with the secular parties, the CPI leaders believe they could not possibly stay away from a meeting on a crucial issue such as the POTA. The people should not get the impression that the CPI was unwilling to take a stand on such a major issue.

The CPI (M) and the Congress are taking the line that the DMK, like the MDMK and the BJP, supported the POTA in Parliament, and, as such, these parties had no moral right to talk of misuse of the legislation.

Actually, the CPI (M) and the Congress are wary of being too closely associated with the DMK so long as the party remains an NDA constituent.

Participation in the Parithi meeting was intended to signal an interest in a tie-up in the future if the DMK was ready to come out of the NDA.

But participation in all the meetings organised by the DMK would defeat the very purpose of building pressure on it to quit the NDA.

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