Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Monday blasted the pro-capital posturings of his Politburo colleagues Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Jyoti Basu, asserting that those trying to hammer pegs to firm up capitalism would be made to “yank out those pegs and run.”

Last Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had in Kolkata sought a change in the CPI(M)’s tactical line to combat anti-industrialism in the party and in Left circles and said, “The Government does not have any capital to set up heavy industries like steel and power. Naturally, we have to seek private capital.”

Echoing this, a day later, CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu said that private capital was a must for industrialisation, despite the party’s ideology. “Socialism is a far cry and we have not achieved it yet. We have to remember that we are working within the system and private capital has to be used for industrialisation,” he said.

Achuthanandan did not name either of his Bengal comrades, but remarked that the party never had the line to push capitalism before socialism, before virtually declaring war on pro-capitalist approaches, vowing to continue the “ideological struggle”.

Addressing a party meeting here, a visibly agitated VS said the innate strength of the working class would inevitably wipe away capitalism. “In this day and age, the increasing pressure it would bear from the collective strength of the working class is itself bound to be the death warrant of capitalism, which can only help bring more exploitation than progress.” The party has a very clear and considered approach to it, VS said.

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