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print versionThe 2014 parliamentary elections are more critical for the future of India than any other in the past. A victory of Bhartiya Janata Party led by Narendra Modi would not only end Congress domination of Indian politics, it would set in motion a new culture and reverse the secular foundations of India.
There are many factors for the decline of the influence of Congress but none has played as big a role as its denunciation by the block of Communist Parties, mainly the Communist Party of India. At the present critical juncture this denunciation by CPI has not only crossed the limits of decency but also of callousness towards the future of India.
CPI declared that "Modi and Manmohan are two sides of the same coin" as it released its Election Manifesto. This is the lowest CPI could reach in its political analysis.
PC Joshi, the first General Secretary of the CPI argued for a strategic alliance with Congress. CPI came to the defense of Congress when syndicate and the US imperialists were out to oust Indira Gandhi. Congress introduced the terms secular and socialist in Indian Constitution and was an ally of Soviet Union. None of this has been changed by Manmohan Singh except a shift from state control of economy to liberalization, which in a small way was also attempted by the last Left Front Government in West Bengal.
By itself, a dominance by big corporations does not automatically increases poverty as can be seen in Scandinavian the countries.
In any case, economic policies can be changed but cultural hegemony of Hinduism, which is already quite pervasive, cannot be.
We think that CPI and CPI(M) should reassess their position. While maintaining their independence, they should support Congress to keep Modi’s hoards from coming to power. There is a big dividend to such a policy.
