Bardhan146;s bluster

After his sharpshooter, Gurudas Dasgupta, took innumerable potshots at the Union finance minister in his jaundiced responses to the Union Bu...

After his sharpshooter, Gurudas Dasgupta, took innumerable potshots at the Union finance minister in his jaundiced responses to the Union Budget in Parliament, it is now the turn of comrade general secretary to man the battle decks. In a display of spleen rare even in the event-filled annals of Left engagement with its allies in government, CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan chose to question P. Chidambaram8217;s professionalism as a senior Union minister. By referring to the fact that Chidambaram had once held a legal brief for a German retailer, he now warns the prime minister that if FDI were to be allowed in the retail trade it would smack of impropriety.

This is an incredibly linear argument. By this token, decisions that the finance minister has taken, is taking, will be taking 8212; supposedly in the nation8217;s interest 8212; are actually prompted by those who had hired him to argue their cases as a senior lawyer. By this token, no lawyer should dare to aspire for political office 8212; even though some of our most notable politicians were in fact lawyers 8212; because s/he is essentially a compromised creature. Bardhan goes on to clarify that he is not 8220;casting any doubt on his Chidambaram8217;s integrity8221;. Such a disclaimer, coming as it does after the finance minister8217;s ability to exercise independent thought has been questioned in such unequivocal and unambiguous terms, strains the credulity. Bardhan has issued no less than a no-confidence vote on a minister of his government 8212; the government his party has chosen to support 8212; and he wants the government to believe that his rapier thrusts that have just sliced its liver repeatedly are not real!

Herein lies the problem. There is a certain responsibility on the part of alliance partners to be more calibrated, more sensible, more sensitive, more rational, in their political stances, if they do not want to appear double-faced. One year after the Manmohan Singh government has come to power, the CPI has not learnt this lesson. The finance minister may not need Bardhan to endorse his personal credibility, but the UPA government8217;s own credibility is sorely tested every time an alliance partner feels the need to fire the canon into its own ranks.