Big brother's burden

Whenever any major issue comes up before the Left parties, it’s the CPI(M) — the biggest Red bloc — that has to take the responsibility of drafting the Left’s joint agenda or a campaign document. During the heated debate on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, it was CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and his core team that burnt midnight oil to go through bundles of articles and documents to do their research before arriving at the talking points. Now, as the Left parties plan to take up price rise and food security issues in a big way, the three other parties have again left it to the CPI(M) to draft their campaign material. Karat and his comrade, politburo member Sitaram Yechury, are expected to finalise the draft brochure on food prices by June 24 and hand it over to the other parties for their “approval”. Needless to say, whatever the CPI(M) writes will be finally approved without any murmur.