Talking of the pre-1977 period, Karat writes: “The Communist Party’s first government in Kerala, headed by E M S Namboodiripad, was ousted in 21 months. Article 356 of the constitution was used for the first time by the then Nehru government to dismiss an elected state government.”

Recalling that in 1967, United Front governments formed in West Bengal and Kerala with CPM as the largest party were not allowed to remain in office for long, he says: “The Left parties fought back this conspiracy and central intervention.”

In 1969, once again the United Front was re-elected with a big majority. This government also fell after 13 months, in 1970. In Kerala, the United Front government lasted 31 months and fell apart in 1969.

He says: “ The Congress governments at the centre were hostile to the existence of communist-led State Governments.”

The minority angle

That Muslim support to the CPM is declining has been among the findings of West Bengal election analysis — something that the party is willing to accept only in an oblique fashion.

In a 14-point table of “feature of election results,” the party organ says: “The vast majority of the minority communities have votes for the LF,”

and “the middle class and the intellectuals have remained by the side of the LF.”

However, Karat says in his article: “The seventh Left Front government is conscious of the need to provide for the all-round development of the Muslim minority, so that they can more fully be part of the common endeavour of all sections of the working people for a better life.”

The TDP tie-up and Cong

Politburo member and Andhra Pradesh state secretary B V Raghulu writes on the party’s straining relations with the Congress and new seat arrangements with the TDP for local body elections.

He says: “The straining relationship of the CPM-Congress is not a sudden development. The CPM, right from the formation of the Congress government, began raising people’s issues and this has made the Congress party impatient. Repression was unleashed in Vijayanagaram when the party took up the issue of displacement of people in Thotapally and waged a struggle . . . the government dug out cases that were foisted on them during the previous Telugu Desam regime.”

He goes on to say that it is “irrational to term the adjustments with the TDP in local body elections, which does not have political objectives, as opportunistic.” He also adds that CPM is under no compulsion to continue support Congress.

Talking Theory

Shyamal Chakrabarty offers an explanation for the apparent contradictions between the stated positions of the party and the actions of its government in West Bengal on the question of FDI.

He says the following conditions should be imposed on flow of foreign capital: a) it should enhance existing level of productivy; b) it should help update our technology; c) it should lead to employment opportunities.

(Compiled by Varghese K George)