With the so-called Third Front gone with the wind, the Left parties seem to have truly become, as Northcote Parkinson once described the British socialists, Left Luggage. The Communists' hope now rests on becoming part of the Congress baggage, though the Left fought the party for 45 years. On the eve of yet another poll, Jyoti Basu, the grand old man of the Indian Left, speaks to ASHIS CHAKRABARTI. Excerpts: Despite the routine manifestoes, these elections seem to be all about Kargil, ISI, Pakistan, Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, etc. Where are the issues for the common people?
As far as the BJP government is concerned, it has been a complete failure in Kargil. Why did Kargil happen? How did it happen? It didn't happen in one day. It must have taken them months to prepare, to build supply lines, move up the mountains up to 15,000 feet and occupy our bunkers. All this was happening even before Vajpayee went to Lahore. Either there was a complete failure of intelligence or,if there was a report, nothing was done about it.
But what about economic and other issues that are supposed to be debated before a democratic election?
All parties have their manifestoes where they talk about economic and other issues. But, as you say, all that has been pushed into the background. Yes, these should have been the most important issues in this election. In 13 months of the BJP's rule, the economy has slowed down, the idea of self-reliance is gone and they are depending on foreigners more than the Congress.
Many analysts think that in today's global economic scene, the economic reform agenda for India would and should remain much the same, whether it's Vajpayee, Sonia or Jyoti Basu? Do you agree?
As I said, the economic policies of the Congress and the BJP are almost the same. Only the BJP talks about Swadeshi and does Videshi. I don't know how my name comes in. We lay stress on land reforms, anti-poverty programmes, on the basic needs of the people. We wantsmall industries to come up in a big way. But, at the moment, there's no question of our coming into the government.
The Left had always been associated with anti-Congressism. How is it that you are now all for a Congress government in Delhi?
It's because a very big change has happened in India with the rise of the BJP. At least for us, if not for all Left parties, this is a very big change in Indian politics. If the BJP comes to power, it'll destroy India. They are killing Christians and Muslims, spreading hatred. And, it's not just the BJP. The forces like the HP, RSS and Bajrang Dal are the BJP's base.
But two major Left Front partners -- RSP and Forward Bloc -- aren't convinced that this strategy of aligning with the Congress.
I know they are not convinced. But I hope they will be in future.
And the Left this time had no qualms about joining hands with Laloo Prasad Yadav and Jayalalitha, against whom there are so many corruption charges.
The issue ofcorruption is important. They would be punished if they are proved guilty. I asked Laloo to resign when he faced the corruption charges. Yes, he put his wife in the saddle.
Once your party had joined hands with the BJP to dislodge the Congress. In retrospect, would you call that a historic blunder?
At that time, the BJP was not that powerful. We actually supported V.P. Singh, as all anti-Congress parties, including the BJP, supported him. But we warned V.P. Singh about the BJP.
Even if the BJP's rise has changed Indian politics so much, how can you support a government led by Sonia whom, in the last election campaign, you had called a mere housewife?
Yes, I said that. But didn't stop there. I also said that even a housewife has a right to join politics. And, if she can lead her party to victory and if the party elects her as leader, what's wrong with it?
How do you think she is doing in this poll campaign?
She's doing well. Last time, she would be fumbling inher public speeches. And, the way the BJP leaders are launching her personal attacks on her, it's mean and it shows they are afraid of her. This talk of her foreign origin is all nonsense.
But many in the so-called Third Front refused to accept her as head of an alternative government when the BJP government fell.
Yes. But our stand was clear. The Congress was the second largest party but they did not have the numbers. We said we would support a Congress government from outside. But what Mulayam did is still a mystery to me. We'd been trying to dislodge the BJP government for three months. Mulayam even talked of joining the alternative government. But, when the time came, he refused to support a Congress government. I think Mulayam is responsible for the BJP government carrying on.
Can the third force rise again after the elections?
We're trying. But it's a complicated election this time. The equations have changed from State to State.
You've again talked of thinkingof taking the prime ministerial responsibility.
Now there is no such question. This question can come up only after the elections. We'll consider it then.
You've ruled West Bengal continuously for 22 years. But many analysts say the State now presents a picture of decay.
Do they go to the countryside where our success story lies. Have they seen how land reforms worked, how panchayats and municipalities have regular elections and function democratically? In agricultural production, we top the States. We are first among States in social forestry too. We made education free at the school level. We got over the power shortage. But these are mostly invisible. True, we couldn't do much in industrial development. But there we faced problems from the wrong policies of the Centre.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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