More criticism of the Left in light of its intransigence over the nuclear deal. The commentator has generally focussed on the mainstream Left, but what he says is equally applicable to the non-mainstream, 'soft-Left', especially this: The Left was never shy of claiming the moral high-ground or in appropriating the right to speak for India's masses-despite its electoral failure. The non-mainstream Left's 'appropriation of the right to speak for India's masses' and 'divorce from the reality of changing India' are even more egregious and despicable, on account of the fact that their numbers can be counted on fingers.
Best regards, Murali. (From http://retributions.nationalinterest.in/ . All emphasis mine) *The Left has always behaved the same. Then why are political commentators so surprised?* The Left's intransigence on the nuclear deal has not only exasperated<http://retributions.nationalinterest.in/the-prime-minister-develops-a-spine/>the Prime Minister, but it has also left many commentators, who in the past have sympathized with the Left, fuming. In the last three days itself, Rajdeep Sardesai<http://www.ibnlive.com/blogs/rajdeepsardesai/1/2315/karat-and-stick.html>, Barkha Dutt<http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=671f1d5e-8fad-4cc1-9e4e-65f5efb9c29e&&Headline=Left+in+a+time+warp>and Vir Sanghvi<http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=17e23240-f37f-460e-877b-61bca13067a5&&Headline=What+is+the+Communist+Manifesto%3f>have attacked the Left and declared that it is living in a time warp. The template of their criticism is broadly the same: The Left is the only political formation which upholds probity in public life, their personal incorruptibility is admirable, and yet, by clinging on to ideas which are no longer part of public consciousness, they are doing a great disservice to themselves and to India. However, one fails to see how are they behaving any differently from their record over the last 60 years. Before the 1990's economic reforms and the rise of B.J.P, the Left was obsessed with two big ideas: Anti-Congressism, and global Communism. During these years, the Leftists behaved more as messengers of Moscow and Bejing than a responsible opposition party concerned with India's national interest. The rise of B.J.P forced the Left to support the Congress, but its support has been reluctant at best. Its real interest has always been in cobbling together a third front coalition against the two national parties. It is only the rather belated realization that the Third Front has no political future beyond the soaring ambitions of its multiple leaders which has kept he Left from jettisoning the Congress. While it is indeed gratifying to note the Left is finally being criticized for its acts of commission and omission, the criticism is reluctant at best. Even when Left's political bankruptcy has been exposed to the fullest, Indian intellectuals continue to treat the Left with kid gloves, admonishing them as one would scold a child who maybe a little way-ward but is basically good at heart. It is exactly this attitude which has allowed to Left to occupy the moral high ground. While RSS faces criticism to this day because its founder praised Hitler 70 years ago, why is the Left's continuing worship of Mao and Stalin-surely the greatest mass-murders of the 20th century, never questioned? Why is the fact that Left's intellectual heaven Soviet Russia build the greatest imperialist empire of the 20th century glossed over? Why doesn't the Left faces uncomfortable questions over the fall of Communism and China's embrace of capitalism? Why is the Left allowed to run a capitalist government in Bengal while it vehemently criticizes even the most basic reforms in the rest of India? This inability to appreciate the Left's inherent hypocrisy, its naked ambition for power couched in puritanical ideological vehemency is perplexing to say the least. Yes, personal integrity of the central Left leaders is undoubted. However, most of them are theoreticians rather than practical politicians. Also, opposition leaders are generally more honest than those who had the opportunity to abuse power, and hence it would be make more sense to judge the Left by its performance in the two states where it is a major political force. Its tallest leader in Bengal, Jyoti Basu is mainly admired by the chatterati in Delhi who have little idea of the damages he inflicted on Bengal's industrial landscape, or his lack of personal or moral integrity. In Bengal, the line between the party and the government has long been eclipsed and it is a problem which even it's reformist chief minister has found insurmountable. In Kerala, the Left runs a virtual business empire worth close to 5000 crores. Despite its distaste for big business, it has invested in mega-ventures from Beedi factories to even T.V channels. The Prakash Karats and A.B Bardhans, unencumbered with concerns of electoral success can afford to keep their pristine images because the dirty work is done by their party units. Left's problem is fairly simple. It has long accepted that it has no future as a major political force for its march across India was halted in Bengal. Yet, due to the fractured nature of India's polity, the Left or rather the apparachiks who rule the party apparatus in Delhi can exercise power without responsibilities. That is a heady combination and a most dangerous one. The Left was never shy of claiming the moral high-ground or in appropriating the right to speak for India's masses-despite its electoral failure. The pusillanimous attitude of the Congress party and its Prime Minister in the last three years has only expanded its belief in its own power. Absolutely convinced of its own moral superiority, and drunk on power, the Left wants to continue to run the government by remote control as it has done over the last three years. The very first time the Prime Minister showed the stomach for a fight, the Left leaders have gone ballistic with constant threats of bringing down the government. The Left's divorce from the reality of changing India is nearly complete. While it many continue to cling to its pockets of influence-at least till a viable alternative emerges in Bengal-its influence should be commensurate with its electoral support. The reign of unelected party bosses presiding over India's future must end. Surely, there is space for the Left in Indian polity; if it is able to transform it self into a Left-of-Center party concentrating (as Vir Sanghvi suggests), on green issues and speaking for the *chota aadmi*. However, if it is unwilling to change, it should be consigned to where it rightfully belongs-the dustbin of history. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic. - Joseph Stalin To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary. These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate. 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