View from the Left

On Nepal, one victory prompts the call for anotherBuoyant after the success of Sitaram Yechury8217;s Nepal initiative, the CPIM has set i...

On Nepal, one victory prompts the call for another

Buoyant after the success of Sitaram Yechury8217;s Nepal initiative, the CPIM has set its target high 8212; the abolition of monarchy. The editorial in the latest issue of People8217;s Democracy 8212; Nepal: A People8217;s victory 8212; does not state it in so many words, but the the implication is clear. 8216;8216;The UPA Government should not make the mistake of alienating the peole of Nepal by trying to pursue the old two-pillar concept of the monarchy and the multi-party system.8217;8217; Describing the Government8217;s response to the King8217;s earlier announcement of his preparedness to hand over executive power to political parties as 8216;8216;misguided and premature,8217;8217; the key ally of the Government has this advice to offer: 8216;8216;The UPA Government should boldly stand for a democratic transformation which is in tune with the aspirations of the Nepalese people. It should not seek to co-ordinate its policy towards Nepal with the Unted States, which is solely concerned with isolating the Maoists by using the King and the armed forces.8217;8217;

WB polls sees CPM sacrifice CMP for greater common good

Thanks to the heat and dust generated by assembly polls, the CPIM, which swears by the CMP, has invented a new phrase to condemn it. According to an article 8216;8216;Election Campaign of The Left Front leaves the opposition far behind,8217;8217; party general secretary Prakash Karat has described the document as 8216;8216;a common minimum programme of US President Bush.8217;8217; The provocation: 8216;8216;The Congress-led regime appeared to be keen to emerge as the junior partner of the US imperialists. It was dedicated to sacrificing the independent foreign policy stance of nation.8217;8217;

The article underlines the point that Karat addressed public meetings in Hindi. Creditable indeed. After all, Karat is not totally way off the mark even when he uses the expression 8216;8216;Congress adhyakshani,8217;8217; instead of 8216;8216;adhyaksha.8217;8217;

Sonia has always asserted monopoly rights for having introduced the rural employment gurantee scheme. But politburo member Sitaram Yechury stakes the CPIM8217;s claim over the path-breaking measure. 8216;8216;The Left suceeded in incorporating in the CMP such provisions and settings as rural development, rural employment, and guarantee for 100 days of work.8217;8217;

Backing the move for quotas, with a few reservations

Backing reservations for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes 8216;8216;without any qualification8217;8217; 8212; 8216;8216;Reservations are not against merit8217;8217; 8212; the weekly bats for 8216;8216;reservations for the OBCs on the basis of an agreed upon economic criterion.8217;8217; The reason: in certain areas, they belong to the land-owning classes, even though they may remain educationally and culturally backward. The journal argues that the 8216;8216;economic criterion is a must to judiciously administer a policy of reservations.8217;8217; But, one can decipher an attempt to reach out to the upper castes as well as the article argues alongside: 8216;8216;Some reservations to the economically backward people not covered by any reservations also should be provided.8217;8217;

8212; Compiled by Pradeep Kaushal