HVK Archives: EMS lashes out at Basu's 'historic mistake'
EMS lashes out at Basu's 'historic mistake' - Sunday Observer
Sunil K Poolani in Thiruvananthapuram
()
2-8 February 1997
Title : EMS lashes out at Basu's 'historic mistake'
Author : Sunil K Poolani in Thiruvananthapuram
Publication : Sunday Observer
Date : February 2-8, 1997
E M S Namboodiripad, former general secretary of the Communist
Party of India (Marxist) and Kerala's first Communist chief
minister, says there are serious policy differences between the
United Front government and the Left Front, which is supporting it
partly from within and partly from without.
Namboodiripad, who announced his retirement from public life late
last year, hoped the differences "can be. and should be, resolved".
Despite the differences, the Marxist veteran thinks the Front and
the Deve Gowda-led government are moving in the right direction.
"The Congress has lost power and there is little likelihood of it
coming back. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which
is also vying for power, may make the situation worse if it
succeeds. Therefore, it is necessary to keep both of them out of
the government, and the 13-party government is, to an extent,
capable of doing so."
Namboodiripad is both happy and unhappy with the functioning of the
government. "Happy because not only has it kept the Congress and
the BJP at bay, but the general policies pursued by it are better
than those of the Congress.
"Unhappy because, on the foreign and domestic economic fronts, the
UF government is, by and large, following the policies of the Rao
government. "
Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu's remark that the
CPI-M had committed a historic blunder by not joining the
government, a visibly angry Namboodiripad said no individual,
however big, can take decisions or make comments tarnishing the
party's image. "It's the party, and the party alone, that makes
decisions".
He also denied allegations that the politburo is sharply divided on
several issues, mainly Basu's remarks. "Differences are temporary,
we'll surge ahead," he said.
Asked about the future of the Communist parties in India, after the
disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the Eastern
Bloc, EMS said these developments had not affected the communist
movement in India.
"The disintegration in these countries proves one thing: the
communist movement's transition from capitalism to socialism is
over. A new stage has begun, a stage in which achievements in the
earlier stage will be consolidated. And the mistakes committed in
that era will be rectified. I'm optimistic that it will be
done...."
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