FRANK TALK: CPI(M) veteran Jyoti Basu addresses a May Day rally in Kolkata on Monday. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

Kolkata: It will take the Left parties only a day to topple the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre; but that would not bring the Left to power for, it did not have the requisite strength. It was, therefore, imperative that the Left forces extend their influence to beyond West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, Jyoti Basu, veteran leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said here on Monday.

"It is sad that on May Day we are having to admit that we have not been able to increase our strength beyond these three places," Mr. Basu said at a May Day rally organised by the State committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and those of other central Left trade unions. To do so there "is need to unite workers across the country, 90 per cent of whom belong to the unorganised sector and who remain outside the purview of the trade unions and other workers' federations," he added.

"We want this [the UPA] Government to stay on for its full term by when we will have consolidated the strength not only of the parties but also the various mass organisations," Mr Basu said.

On the right to strike of workers, Mr. Basu reiterated that it should be the "last weapon to be resorted to and only after even the State Government failed to resolve a stalemate through negotiations." "But we [the West Bengal Government] will never break a strike by calling in the police, even though we have told the workers as well as government employees to ensure that strikes are peaceful," he said. "The employers have been told to pay respect to the workers ... if they [the workers] give up the right to strike how will their demands be met?" he asked.

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