CPM is soft on Cong, targets BJP

Uncharacteristically muted criticism of the Congress was the dominant tone of the 18th congress of the CPI(M) that opened in the Capital today. The meeting saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supplant the Congress as the party's principal political "adversary", a far cry from the days when former CPI(M) General secretary EMS Namboodiripad characterised the BJP as the "plague" but the Congress as "cholera".

The speeches made by CPI(M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu were bereft of sting in their assessment of the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) economic reform agenda.

They rather focused on the victory of the "secular forces" in the 2004 general elections, party building, consolidation of the anti-imperialist forces and the creation of a third front. In other fora such as Parliament, co-ordination committee meetings and in their discussions with UPA ministers, the CPI(M) has attacked the Congress economic policies a lot more openly.

Surjeet's speech for instance, talks of the compulsion of "recognising the Congress as a secular party." In an earlier paragraph in the speech he almost glosses over the differences between the Left and the Congress with the words, "Our party's attitude to the Congress is well known."

Similarly, Basu's speech asks the Congress to "introspect" whether it can continue with the same economic policies of "indiscriminate liberalisation." But there is no mention of these specific policies.

While Surjeet's speech does mention that the CPI(M) will make "independent assessments" and "decide our course of action", the language that marked the dialogue between the Left and the government during the discussions on the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the telecom sector, disinvestment of public sector undertakings and banking reforms was clearly missing.

Similarly, Basu's speech asks the Congress to "introspect" whe-ther it can continue with the same economic policies of "indiscriminate liberalisation and privatisation." But there is no mention of these specific policies.

Stronger criticism of the UPA's policies, in fact, came from the CPI. CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan, a special invitee at the session, listed out the economic policies of the present-day government that the Left has been opposing and warned the Manmohan Singh government that the Left's support was neither "unconditional not indefinite".

However, the one political comment that suggested the future direction of CPI(M)'s political strategy at the national level, was made through the medium of the party's next generation of leadership.

During the felicitation of 11 senior comrades who had contributed to the freedom struggle of India, CPI(M) leader and incumbent general secretary, Prakash Karat referred to the 25th anniversary celebrations of the BJP. "They cannot in their entire history produce one leader who can match up to any one of these 11 leaders. They have not been a part of the freedom struggle," he said.

Karat's comment picks up the thread of BJP-Left opposition that has acquired new-found acerbity with the latter emerging as the foremost votary of secularism and the former attempting to reclaim its hard-line image.

With elections in three CPI(M) strongholds- Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura to be held next year, the Congress will, however, remain a regional foe for the CPI(M).

However, at this crucial congress, that will see the party elect a new leader, the BJP has now been entrenched as the adversary.