The right move at the right time

The above two quotations from the CPIM general secretary holds the mirror to the opportunism of the Left, the self-appointed defender of all that is moral in Indian politics. Two years may be a long time in politics but the Left parties have once again begun to demonstrate the kind of adjustments they are so adept at making and give it that veneer of ideological justification.

Two years ago they played no mean role in hounding out Laloo Prasad Yadav and his Rashtriya Janata Dal from the United Front on the question of his alleged complicity in the fodder scam. Now in a somersault that would put an acrobat to shame they are again going to his doorstep for the revival of the Third Force.

It is not official yet but the Left parties are making it known that they are prepared to forget Laloo8217;sscam-taint. The ideological justification of course is that they have a bigger enemy to defeat, the communalism of the BJP. Never mind that the Bihar units of both the CPI and the CPIM are taking part in agitations day in and day out against the RJD dispensation there. They can well be persuaded that the interests of the nation are higher than Laloo8217;s corruption.

This in essence is what the Left8217;s invitation to Laloo to participate in the much-touted convention of like-minded forces against communalism means. The postmaster in the art of managing contradictions, Surjeet is well aware that Laloo is still the only non-Congress, non-BJP leader who can mobilise the masses in this part of the Hindi heartland. He, along with Samajwadi Party8217;s Mulayam Singh Yadav, is the Left8217;s only crutch to be able to remain relevant at the national level. This realisation has sunk in very fast especially after the Congress8217; spectacular showing in the Assembly elections in the Assembly elections in three northern Statesrecently. Its post-poll victory statements slamming coalition arrangements, scenting a dash to the throne in Delhi on its own if Lok Sabha elections were to be held now, has certainly added extra urgency to the Left8217;s moves to cobble together a front of secular parties.

It is nobody8217;s case that a third force distinct from the Congress and the BJP is not of paramount importance. There can be little doubt about the Left8217;s secular credentials but in the name of combatting communalism can corruption be condoned? Especially by the Left which is quick to take moralistic stances on such issues. One argument is that Laloo has not been proven guilty but if that be the case why did it not take the same stand when he was first charged in the fodder scam ?

In fact, the convention against communalism, scheduled for February 20 in the Capital, would have been devoid of any significance of partisan party politics had the Left chosen not to invite Laloo to share their platform. But now more than the fight againstcommunalism the political message that the meet would send out has become the subject of intense speculation. Especially after the imposition of Central rule in Bihar.

The invitation to Laloo has obviously ruffled a few feathers among the United Front constituents. The CPI is not too comfortable with the CPIM8217;s cosying up to Laloo. And a section of the Janata Dal which includes its chief Sharad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan has been vehemently opposing the idea of a third front which has Laloo in it.

For the record though Left leaders say the convention is strictly apolitical. 8220;We don8217;t want the purpose of the convention to be diluted. Which is why we are not projecting it as some kind of a coming together of certain forces opposed to the BJP and the Congress,8221; says D.Raja, national secretary, CPI. They also point out that not only politicians but also intellectuals from all walks of life have been invited to the convention.But then if the CPI8217;s national leadership does not display this attitude, evenif its CPIM counterpart can afford to be more reckless, it is because it knows it is in for trouble from the party8217;s Bihar unit, a trenchant Laloo critic. The CPI after all has a bigger stake in the State than the CPIM.

The Left had taken a similarly strong position against the Telugu Desam Party when it walked out of the United Front to support the Vajpayee government. Surjeet has maintained that there is no question of the Left accepting the TDP again but going by the record of its flip-flop on the question of Laloo a change of heart cannot be ruled out. After all, wasn8217;t the CPIM prepared to even dump the DMK in exchange for continued Congress support to the then UF government in the wake of the Jain Commission disclosures ?