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The letter sent to Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda by the leaders
of the two Communist parties, Forward Bloc and the RSP might give
the impression that they are an aggrieved lot, deeply unhappy over
the functioning of the UF Government. Their complaints relate to
the latter's failure to honour several commitments made in the
Common Minimum Programme-the commandments which supposedly bind the
coalition partners and act as a guide to action. And yet, Messrs
Harkishen Singh Surjeet, A. B. Bardhan, Chitta Basu and Sushil
Bhattacharya have accused the Government of deliberately neglecting
this all-important document. For instance, they have pointed out
that not only have the promises about legislations for the setting
up of a Lok Pal, reservation of seats. in Armament for women and
for agricultural workers not been kept, some of the measures that
have made some headway, like the, Lok Pal Bill, are deeply flawed.
The letter writers have also taken the Government to task for the
move to restore executive authority in the appointment of judges
and called instead for the establishment of an independent judicial
commission. The proposed validation of the discretionary powers of
Ministers has also been criticised along with the move to allow the
private sector's entry into the field of the transmission of power.
Irrespective of the fact that some of the points made by the
leftist leaders will be generally endorsed, as on the Lok Pal Bill
and the appointment of judges, it might seem that they have served
some kind of a notice on the Government, emphasising that they will
no longer take such "violations" of the CMP lying down. However,
it would be a mistake to think that the Government faces any
immediate danger from this expression of leftist disenchantment.
Like the occasional Congress threats, the leftist show of
dissatisfaction is no more than shadow-boxing, intended more to
highlight their own specific identities and impress their band of
followers than to undermine the Deve Gowda Government. The display
may have been considered all the more necessary because the
leftists are expected to go along with the supposedly pro-rich
budget, notwithstanding the discordant noises made by youthful
Politburo members as yet not fully acquainted with the exigencies
of realpolitik. Since no one is willing to face the uncertainties,
not to mention the expenses, of another election, and since the
taste of power remains sweet even in a rickety coalition, the
ruling alliance is unlikely to experience any major internal
tremors in the near future. But that does not mean that occasional
differences will not be aired-as in any seemingly happy and united
family.
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