Comrades of the poor unite: TN CM’s plea to Left allies

Chennai, August 12 : Eager to retain the Left in the DMK alliance fold after the change of equations at the Centre, Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi has made a fervent appeal to it to sink differences to face the common enemy — communalism — and achieve a similar goal — welfare of the poor, especially farmers.

Speaking at the release of his speeches made in the Assembly in the past 50 years, at the party headquarters on Monday night, Karunanidhi recalled his long association with the CPI(M) and CPI and reminded them about their joint struggle for the welfare of farmers. The Left leaders were present on the stage and listening. Years ago, when C N Annadurai was the leader of the DMK, he sought to remind the Left, the party had joined hands with the Communist party led by Kalyanasundaram and organised protests and marches to find a solution to the problems faced by farmers.

“We were able to fight and ensure the welfare of the farming community only because the Communists and DMK stood together in the endeavour,” Karunanidhi said.

“Today we are at a certain point where we should ponder over why we are together and why should we be together in the future... The poor and downtrodden are depending on us to make their lives better,” he said, invoking powerful reasons for the parties to stay united in the state.

Pointing to the Congress chief whip in the Assembly, MLA Peter Alphonse, who was among the speakers, Karunanidhi told the Left leaders not to oppose the Congress in Tamil Nadu due to differences between the two parties in other states. “Why bring politics of other states here?” he asked, referring to the Congress-Left rivalry in Kerala and West Bengal. “This is our friendship; one made with sacrifice. Let us keep this alive,” he told the CPI(M) and CPI, represented at the function by Rajya Sabha member T K Rangarajan and MLA Sivapunniyam.

In a calculated move, the DMK chief brought up the contentious Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, bearing in mind that the Left, Congress and DMK are on the same side of the debate on the issue against the AIADMK, which favours a line similar to the BJP.

The Left and DMK are part of the DPA in the state and contested the last general elections together, in which they swept all the 40 seats. However, since the trust vote in...

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