CPI(M) to work for creation of Third force

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, April 11

In its bid to create a separate national political space for itself, the CPI (M) on Monday said that it would work for the creation of the third force in national politics away from the Congress and BJP led formations.

Newly appointed General Secretary of the party Prakash Karat hoped that the third force, comprising of secular and democratic parties, would come together under a common minimum programme. "Some of these parties had been with us in the past," he said. Karat was addressing an impressive rally on the conclusion of the 18th Congress of the party at Ramlila Grounds here. He was elected as the general secretary earlier in the day replacing the septuagenarian Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

This was the first Congress of the left party in a Hindi speaking state since its formation indicating the eagerness of the party to spread its base in the cow belt. "We have nine lakh members in our party now," said the general secretary amidst "Lal Salam" from the party workers and cadres who had come from the neighbouring states in large numbers.

Karat said the performance of the Congress lead UPA was assessed in the party Congress. "The ruling party has not implemented policies for workers and farmers as promised," said the general secretary, adding that "basic differences existed between the Congress and the CPI(M) as it was following the capitalist policies". He, however, did not reveal any plan of action against the UPA government. For the party land reforms, improvement of the public distribution system and generation of employment opportunities are the issues on which a sustained movement would be launched in the next few days.

The change of guard in the party, however, did not mean any paradigm shift in the party line. Karat reiterated the party line of opposing the liberal economic policies of the government and said a movement would be launched for an alternative economic policy. On foreign policy too, the general secretary described US as an "imperialist country" and accused it of triggering an arms race in the subcontinent by selling F-16s to both India and Pakistan.

Two chief ministers – Buddhdev Bhattacharya of West Bengal and Manik Sarkar of Tripura addressed the rally. Surjeet and politburo member Sitaram Yechury were the other speakers. Foreign delegates from China, Nepal, Pakistan, Cuba, Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Australia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, Germany, and Greece amongst other countries too participated in the Congress and the rally. (2005)