The statement then goes on to say that the CPM has asked for a judicial inquiry into the incident. Why not instead ask: what took the government so long to institute an inquiry? Why not condemn the fact that the CPM is still launching an assault on the judiciary for asking for an inquiry? The statement says: “Nobody belonging to the Left would ever justify repressive action against peasants or workers, who are the basic classes of the Left.” This is another piece of circumlocution. What does basic classes of the Left mean? That only the Left can speak for them? This is hubris. Or that these classes primarily support the Left? This is a fantastic piece of wishful thinking. Yes, nobody would “justify”. But why not outright condemnation? Why not at least say that the government badly mishandled the situation? Why engage in that perpetual deferral of assigning responsibility on the state government, to which the Left so objects in others? In the statement there is a sincere call to make efforts so that “tension subsides and normalcy returns to the area”. But the statement ends with: “We appeal to all concerned not to let the wounds of Nandigram become festering sores.” Again, reasonable enough. But in the context it is difficult to read it as anything other than a plea not to interrogate the state government too closely; as if any critical intervention will transform wounds into festering sores.

Left economists have often screamed hoarse about investment in health, education, and minority welfare. Yet they consistently treated the West Bengal government, a regime with an appalling record on these issues, with kid gloves. Intellectuals in the service of power, is a disconcertingly widespread phenomenon. This temptation has many sources. Intellectuals, perhaps even more so than others, can be rank opportunists. And certainly a system where the state controls so many of the resources and incentives that govern the professional lives of intellectuals, intellectual life is bound to be easily corroded by state power. The Left’s case is more complicated. The Left’s yearnings for an ideal of commitment makes them blind to the messy realities of power around them.

... contd.