‘We will do everything to defeat them’

Prashun Bhaumik |

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat, in an interview with DIVYA MALIK LAHIRI, spoke in detail about his relationship with the Congress, with Mulayam Singh Yadav and the prospects of an alliance with the third force.

By Divya Malik Lahiri

Somnath Chatterjee’s expulsion may have come as a shock to some, but party observers who have been watching the party since Independence and the days when the CPI-M had not split from the CPI, say that strong action from the party doesn’t come as a surprise. Some of its most prominent leaders and even those who held important party posts have been expelled in the past on disciplinary grounds.

In 1948, prominent party leader P.C. Joshi was expelled from the party, because he was seen as too pro-Congress. Joshi believed that freedom from British rule was a substantial achievement and that, tactically, the communist movement would gain by supporting leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru. Joshi argued that it was necessary to seek an alliance with the Congress since it was the party that was closest to the masses and it had leaders who were favourably inclined to socialism and its global future.

This line was at variance with that of the then general secretary B.T. Ranadive, who was then espousing that freedom from the British was not real.

Ironically in the early 1950s, Ranadive himself was removed as general secretary, because by then, the united CPI had changed its line and had started propagating the view that freedom should not be trashed and that India had gained significantly from independence.

Another legendary figure of the CPI-M, Nripen Chakraborty, was also expelled from the party in 1995, because of his differences with Dasrath Deb, who succeeded him as Tripura Chief Minister as well as with Jyoti Basu, one of the tallest leaders in the CPI-M.

But the Somnath Chatterjee expulsion has probably invited much more comment and criticism because he occupies a Constitutional position.

Sources say that his expulsion cannot be seen as a  fight between the West Bengal and Kerala units of the party, but admit that many leaders, cutting across state lines, were not happy with the manner in which Chatterjee was expelled and its timing.

Many leaders felt that the timing was wrong, because the focus got diverted from the cash for votes scam to the expulsion and that the CPI-M could have used the incident to target the Congress.

There is also discomfort in the party, that in the list to the President, the party should have clearly identified Mr Chatterjee as the Speaker, even while he was a party member.

But officially, no one in the party is ready to come out in support of the Speaker except Subhas Chakraborty, and the battlelines are clearly drawn.

While Chatterjee accused the party and Prakash Karat of committing Constitutional impropriety by treating him as a party member, the CPI-M general secretary in an interview with CURRENT, said that Chatterjee had chosen to sever all connections with the party by his actions—in other words, by defying the party’s decision to get him to resign as Speaker.

Somnath Chatterjee says that you have indulged in Constitutional impropriety by treating him as a party member. What do you have to say?

The fact is that Somnath Chatterjee was a member of the party until 23 July 2008. We made it clear that it was up to him to decide whether to remain Speaker or not and it was for the party to decide whether he will remain a member of the party or not.

He has chosen by his actions to sever all connections with the party.

Do you think it was right for you to include his name in the list to the President?

I don’t want to say anything more on the Somnath issue.

In the public perception, it appears that the Congress is being more flexible on the issue of and understanding with the Left, after the Lok Sabha elections. What’s your view?

The Congress has broken with the Left on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP). They have gone ahead with the nuclear deal, they have refused to take pro-poor measures in the CMP, nor have they taken any steps on price rise. The question of the Congress being flexible doesn’t arise. They have broken with the Left on all policy matters.

The Congress says it hopes you won’t take a stand that will benefit the BJP after the Lok Sabha elections. What do you have to say about that?

The course taken by the Manmohan Singh government in the last four years has ended in a situation that is being exploited by the BJP, because of the wrong policies of the government. It’s for the Congress to assess why it is losing Assembly election after election to the BJP.

You have been opposing some Bills like the increase in foreign direct investment in insurance, banking regulation and pension reforms. Now the BJP too says it will not support the government on these Bills. Does it worry you that you will be seen as the same side as the BJP again?

In Parliament, on all legislations, we vote according to our policy. The NDA and UPA also vote according to the stand their alliances take. It was the Congress which helped the BJP to pass the insurance bill, which opened up the sector in India. We are prepared to meet any challenge. Let the government bring any Bill. We will do everything to defeat them.

Do you think Comrade Surjeet would have handled relations with the Congress and Mulayam Singh Yadav differently?

When he was general secretary, we moved a no-confidence motion against the Narasimha Rao government. The no-confidence motion was moved by a CPI-M Member of Parliament and the BJP voted in favour.

As far as Mulayam Singh Yadav is concerned, when Comrade Surjeet was general secretary, he had the bitter experience of being betrayed by Mulayam Singh Yadav twice, first in 1999, then in 2002. It’s not a matter of individuals, it’s a question of policies being pursued by the CPI-M and Samajwadi Party.

Coming to the issue of a tie-up with Mayawati and the UNPA parties, can we expect an alliance between the parties in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections?

The UNPA, BSP, Janata Dal (Secular) and the Left will launch a joint campaign on five agreed issues – price rise, nuclear deal, agrarian crisis, rise of communal forces and the misuse of central agencies . We hope this will be a precursor to a wider understanding.

Could that understanding translate into an alliance or seat adjustments?

When the elections come, I hope we’ll be able to group together parties to constitute a third force that can fight both the BJP and Congress alliances.

So what shape will it take?

Just like there was a National Front and Left Front government, the Left this time can ally with parties which can constitute the third force.

So when can we expect a joint campaign?

We will start the joint campaign in a few weeks, most probably in New Delhi, by end-August.