A clueless CPM refuses to give up hope on third front
Amitabha Sen
The Observer
June 15, 1999
Title: A clueless CPM refuses to give up hope on third front
Author: Amitabha Sen
Publication: The Observer
Date: June 15, 1999
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which in a significant
turn of events had its party workers at the grassroot level to
intensify campaign against the "policies and politics" of the
Congress, admits that without significant increase in their (Left) own
strength, it is very difficult to form the third alternative. This
hard task notwithstanding, CPM win continue to strive for form-mg such
an alternative with the help of the Left, democratic and secular
parties at the national level.
Clarifying the party's stand, on both BJP and Congress, in the light
of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the West Bengal state committee of
CPM had distributed a preparatory-guide-book among its workers to warm
up for the ensuing poll campaign.
The 17-page guidebook, released by the state CPM secretary Anil Biswas
last weekend, includes party's election campaign highlights for West
Bengal which includes severe criticism of the role and activities of
Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Bannerjee.
It was stated in the campaign-guidebook that the formation of a third
front is a long drawn process.
"It is not an easy task and has to emerge through the complicated
process of ups and down. But by mere changes in the political
equations among the parties and groups or by restructuring of
political alliances this alternative cannot be developed.
"Without people's struggle third alternative cannot develop. Unless
there is increase in the strength of the Left parties them-selves, it
is very difficult to form third alternative," it was underlined.
Criticising the role of DMIK, Samajwadi Party and the two Left allies,
the RSP and Forward Bloc, who opposed support to a Congress government
as an alternative to BJP, the CPM document said Congress failing to
form government on its own refused to consider any other alternative
proposal, after the fall of the BJP-led ministry in April.
"Congress is still dreaming a government of its own. Congress stand
lacks foresightedness and is narrow minded. Congress has taken
position against the wishes of the secular people of the country," so
felt CPM. It was against any coalition of the third front with
Congress.
Tagging the "defeat of BJP" as its first agenda in the election
campaign, the CPM document stated that BJP was guided by the RSS whose
ultimate aim was to establish a "Hindu rashtra" and RSS was a "fascist
organisation."
BJP should not be considered as another, bourgeois party. "They are
anti-democratic and want to destroy the federal structure of the
country," the document said.
CPM has denied that it had changed its stand on Congress so far as the
latter's policies and programmes were concerned.
"Congress has all along been protecting the interests of the
monopolist and feudals. There is no change in this class character of
Congress. Besides indulging corruption, even on the issue of
secularism Congress has compromised repeatedly thereby helping
communal forces. But Congress as a party is a secular party. The
peoples' support to Congress is also mostly secular in nature.
"CPM decided to support Congress because Congress was the largest
party and support was not without any fight against Congress on its
policy matters, the document said.
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