NEW DELHI: Brahman-dominated Communist Party (Marxist) sprang a surprise by announcing its support to Congress (I) candidate Shankar Dyal Sharma for India’s presidency.
The C.P.(M) had been a part of the non-Congress(I) non-B.J.P. national front for many years. The partys stand adopted by its politburo causes serious doubts about the future of the opposition set-up to give a new case of life to the minority Narasimha Rao government.
Sharma will be opposed by G.G. Swell a Christian belonging to the north-eastern Indian states He belongs to a scheduled tube and has claim to as much learning as his Brahman rival . Swell will be supported by V.P.Singh-led Janata Dal on the one hand and by B.J.P. on the other.
The election scheduled for July 13 will be almost straight although there are two more candidates left in the field. They are Ram Jethmalani and one Joginder Singh. There is not much backing for Jethamalani who in disgust left the Janata Dal It may be recalled that Akali leader Simranjit Singh Mann had publicly announced high support for Jethmalanis candidature.
Swells candidature was first announced by V.P.Singh and later by B.J.P. leader B.K.Advani. He does not belong to any political party.
The Janata Dal through its spokesman Hari Kishore Singh said that by sponsoring the candidature of Swell the Janata Dal had responded to the call of the forum of India’s scheduled castes and tribe members of parliament and state assemblies that the country’s presidency should gO to a scheduled caste or tribe member and not to a upper caste Brahman. The ball Singh said was now in the court of the forum which should act in accordance with the conscience of its members.
Meanwhile the Punjab Marxist Forum headed by Jagjit Singh Lyalpuri in a statement criticize the C.P.(M)s decision to support the Congress (I) candidate Sharma.
D.C.Saxena a former Punjab university teacher in a letter Pioneer opposed Sharmas candidature Both the country’s prime minister and the president will be Brahmans which was not in the country’s interests because the minorities as in Punjab will be further alienated from India.
As chancellor of Punjab University Saxena noted Dr.Sharma did not attend even one convocation. He filled the senate with loyalists of Congress (I).
Evidently the B.J.P. changed its stance on supporting Sharma because it found its support base shrinking after the party came to terms with Congress (I) on the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speakers issue B.J.P. is a Brahman-dominated party The public started doubting the B.J.P.”s imposition” credentials after these deals. The party wants to regain its strength by distancing itself from Congress (I).
India’s big business-owned media as well as the government controlled electronic media have started building up Shankar Days Sharma and running down Janata Dal leader V.P.Singh injecting “casteism” in the detail election. Dhirubhai Ambanai chairman of Reliance who has several projects lined for West Bengal and is close to chief minister Jyoti Basu reportedly played a role in mobilizing” C.P.(M)s support for Sharma.
The C.P.(M) assurance of support to Congress (I) came weeks ago when the party’s general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet met the prime minister in Delhi later Surjeet left for the U.K. and other western countries. Evidently the Party wants to present its rank and file with the fait accompli on the issue.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 3, 1992
