But a deadly combination of political inexperience, ideological rigidity and personal hubris has brought the King Canutes of the Left to this interesting turning point. Now, just before they set out for the southern coast to stop the waves as the Indian Navy exercises with four other “friendly” ones, from the US, Singapore, Australia and Japan — so much to the irritation of the First Friend, China — they have to take a more serious call. The Prime Minister has thrown a challenge: learn your part of the coalition dharma or do what you want. To leave no doubts, he has even chosen a paper in Kolkata to send out that message. Will the bully now do do what bullies usually do in such situations: shut up and look for a face-saver? Or will they finally bite and risk a national election when they are so wounded from friendly fire in both their pocket boroughs?

This will test both the nerve and the intellect of the new Left leadership. And if they find the dilemma too painful, they would do well to seek sage advice from the one comrade who knew the art of political negotiation and ideological flexibility, the one man who knew realpolitik is different from a JNU debate and who knows better than anybody that in a democracy, no politics can be a zero-sum game.

His name is Harkishen Singh Surjeet and sure enough, if he was still in control, he would never have let the Left paint itself into such a tight corner.

... contd.