08-15-2007, 03:03 AM
Op-Ed in Pioneer by DN Mishra, 15 August 2007
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->No commonality between Left and Cong
From day one of the UPA Government, the CPM and the CPI have been deceiving people. First, they opposed the initiative by the Government and then supported it meekly. Their duplicity has now been thoroughly exposed.
Take the example of Indo-US 123 Agreement. Both the CPM and the CPI rejected it. They raised nine specific objections. They appeared so concerned and angry that anybody would guess that they would act in that vein in the ensuing Parliament session. But nothing of that sort is going to happen. The Congress will rule though it has told the Prime Minister that the Government would have to face total isolation in Parliament.
The BJP has already demanded a discussion in Parliament on this agreement under Rule 184. Self-proclaimed Stalinist Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is not likely to allow a discussion under Rule 184, for it allows voting. This particular deal can't get approval of majority members in either House. But we know that Chatterjee will deny this opportunity to the House on some pretext. The CPM and CPI would not endanger the UPA Government though both are threatening review of their support to it. Their show of bravado may continue. If the discussion is conducted under Rule 184 they may walkout and save the Government. Alternatively there may be a discussion under rule 193, which does not require voting.
The NDA thinks that mortgaging nuclear sovereignty to a three-phase indigenous nuclear programme has serious implications for national security. If any future Government conducts a nuclear test, it has to bear a high prohibitive cost, though the agreement is deceptively silent on it.
The reasons attributed by the CPM and CPI for opposing the agreement is usual. Anything related to US is anathema to comrades. In review of their support they may substitute outside support by detached support.
It may be recalled that when China conducted its first nuclear test in 1963, the CPM and the CPI extended support to China by passing a resolution but when India conducted the test in 1998, their NGOs came out heavily against the NDA Government, whereas whole of the India was overjoyed. The Congress' reaction was lukewarm. It complimented the scientists but later turned critical of the test. The CPM and the CPI gave mixed reactions. Till last century the Congress was their enemy number one. Then came a phase when there were two enemies for them, the Congress and the BJP. And now their enemy number one is the BJP.
The CPM has done an about-turn. <b>One can recall SA Dange's line. He was in favour of an alliance with the Congress but he was thrown out of the party. He formed his own party, which flopped. Ultimately, the CPM and the CPI followed his line.</b> Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's remarks after announcing outside support to the Congress led UPA Government was: "If we tell the Congress to stand up they will stand up and if we tell them to sit down they will sit down;" meaning that the Congress would dance to CPM tunes.
But what has happened so far. During last 38 months scores of statements by various Left party leaders has bamboozled the UPA on its policy decisions. First, by hard-hitting criticism and thereafter by ignoring Sonia Gandhi's arguments and appeals. But she had her way and the CPI and CPM meekly let her go. At best they got some minor concessions.
<b>The Left and the Congress, have no commonality.</b> One is headed by a lady of Italian origin who controls strings of power. The Congress, the Cabinet, the allies and even those who have given outside support are subservient to her. On the other hand all parties of the Left are dictated by the CPM alone. Sometime the CPI may sing a different tune but sooner or later they too fall in line. Some may even raise their voices louder than the CPM. But they can't decide anything by themselves. <b>Off course, there is one commonality between the whole conglomerates - lovingly they call it secularism.</b>
<b>Anything related to Hindus, Indian traditional values, cultural continuum of more than five millenniums is branded by them as communal. Alliance with terrorism, Islamists and the ilk is secular. Alliance with the Muslims League and separatists is also secular. Under the garb of secular anything goes with ease including passing the unanimous resolution in favour of the chief conspirator of Coimbatore serial bomb blasts and pressurising the Government to commute death sentence of Afzal Guru the chief conspirator of attack on the Parliament. National interests are often compromised.</b>
<b>I don't see any enthusiastic support for 123 Agreement even within the Congress. It has been thrust upon by Sonia Gandhi and the US' global interests.</b>
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->No commonality between Left and Cong
From day one of the UPA Government, the CPM and the CPI have been deceiving people. First, they opposed the initiative by the Government and then supported it meekly. Their duplicity has now been thoroughly exposed.
Take the example of Indo-US 123 Agreement. Both the CPM and the CPI rejected it. They raised nine specific objections. They appeared so concerned and angry that anybody would guess that they would act in that vein in the ensuing Parliament session. But nothing of that sort is going to happen. The Congress will rule though it has told the Prime Minister that the Government would have to face total isolation in Parliament.
The BJP has already demanded a discussion in Parliament on this agreement under Rule 184. Self-proclaimed Stalinist Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is not likely to allow a discussion under Rule 184, for it allows voting. This particular deal can't get approval of majority members in either House. But we know that Chatterjee will deny this opportunity to the House on some pretext. The CPM and CPI would not endanger the UPA Government though both are threatening review of their support to it. Their show of bravado may continue. If the discussion is conducted under Rule 184 they may walkout and save the Government. Alternatively there may be a discussion under rule 193, which does not require voting.
The NDA thinks that mortgaging nuclear sovereignty to a three-phase indigenous nuclear programme has serious implications for national security. If any future Government conducts a nuclear test, it has to bear a high prohibitive cost, though the agreement is deceptively silent on it.
The reasons attributed by the CPM and CPI for opposing the agreement is usual. Anything related to US is anathema to comrades. In review of their support they may substitute outside support by detached support.
It may be recalled that when China conducted its first nuclear test in 1963, the CPM and the CPI extended support to China by passing a resolution but when India conducted the test in 1998, their NGOs came out heavily against the NDA Government, whereas whole of the India was overjoyed. The Congress' reaction was lukewarm. It complimented the scientists but later turned critical of the test. The CPM and the CPI gave mixed reactions. Till last century the Congress was their enemy number one. Then came a phase when there were two enemies for them, the Congress and the BJP. And now their enemy number one is the BJP.
The CPM has done an about-turn. <b>One can recall SA Dange's line. He was in favour of an alliance with the Congress but he was thrown out of the party. He formed his own party, which flopped. Ultimately, the CPM and the CPI followed his line.</b> Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's remarks after announcing outside support to the Congress led UPA Government was: "If we tell the Congress to stand up they will stand up and if we tell them to sit down they will sit down;" meaning that the Congress would dance to CPM tunes.
But what has happened so far. During last 38 months scores of statements by various Left party leaders has bamboozled the UPA on its policy decisions. First, by hard-hitting criticism and thereafter by ignoring Sonia Gandhi's arguments and appeals. But she had her way and the CPI and CPM meekly let her go. At best they got some minor concessions.
<b>The Left and the Congress, have no commonality.</b> One is headed by a lady of Italian origin who controls strings of power. The Congress, the Cabinet, the allies and even those who have given outside support are subservient to her. On the other hand all parties of the Left are dictated by the CPM alone. Sometime the CPI may sing a different tune but sooner or later they too fall in line. Some may even raise their voices louder than the CPM. But they can't decide anything by themselves. <b>Off course, there is one commonality between the whole conglomerates - lovingly they call it secularism.</b>
<b>Anything related to Hindus, Indian traditional values, cultural continuum of more than five millenniums is branded by them as communal. Alliance with terrorism, Islamists and the ilk is secular. Alliance with the Muslims League and separatists is also secular. Under the garb of secular anything goes with ease including passing the unanimous resolution in favour of the chief conspirator of Coimbatore serial bomb blasts and pressurising the Government to commute death sentence of Afzal Guru the chief conspirator of attack on the Parliament. National interests are often compromised.</b>
<b>I don't see any enthusiastic support for 123 Agreement even within the Congress. It has been thrust upon by Sonia Gandhi and the US' global interests.</b>
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