HYDERABAD: The proposed joint Indo-US naval exercises and reports about the prospects of defence cooperation between the two countries evoked sharp reaction from delegates at the 15th CPI congress.

The party general secretary Indrajit Gupta observed that India at one stage received from the erstwhile Soviet Union 80% of the defence equipment but India had not gone in for any joint exercises.

Briefing reporters on the proceedings of the CPI congress Gupta said his party failed to understand the need for Indo-US defence cooperation. Against Whom? Who was the perceived enemy? Was it China? The CPI general secretary said the government should answer these questions He reckoned that the move Cause considerable damage to India’s image.

Gupta said his party congress viewed with skepticism the reported decision by the Congress to adopt a resolution in Tirupati to brand the BJP as a communal party. It was all very well for the Congress to call the BJP names. This was not 2 new things. The question was whether the Congress would follow it up with some action. If the party was sincere about taking a strong line against the parties representing communal forces it should snap the alliance with the Muslim League in Kerala and withdraw support to the BJP with which the Congress shared power in the Trivandum Municipal Corporation he said.

Gupta accused the Narasimha Rao government of seeking to compromise with the BJP in order to retain power. This would damage the Congress image as a secular force Gupta said adding that many of his friends in the Congress felt disturbed about the prospects.

The CPI leader made it clear that there was on question of his party softening up on the retrograde economic policy adopted by the government in order to secure the Congress support for a brand based front of secular and democratic forces against communalism. Do not count on the entire Congress party joining the fight to counter communalism Gupta said adding that the CPI Congress reiterated what the party had said three years ago. The last party congress had called for the broadest possible front of secular and democratic forces against communalism. Such a front should if possible include the Congress.

The deliberations in the 15th CPI congress centered on the modality to be adopted by the party to carry on the fight against the growing communal menace and also against the new economic policy adopted by the government.

From the viewpoint of consolidating the CPI at the organizational level the party would have to adopt a credible line in its relations with the Congress. In its attitude towards the Congress the CPI is apparently faced with the task of working out a cohesive line that helps it consolidate its strength without impairing the party’s credibility.

The CPI is obliged to adopt a confrontationist stance in respect of the Centers economic policy. At the same time the party is constrained to seek the Congress support in sub staining the campaign against communalism.

Anti-communalism can be said to be the CPIs political bread and-butter. AS part of its strategy to strengthen the parties support base the CPI wants to sponsor a joint campaign against communalism along with other secular Parties including the Congress. The CPI efforts at such secular unity have so far remained a virtual non-starter because it did not make adequate efforts to secure the support of the Congress a party that has the largest secular following in the country.

The CPI members who are credited with this view have suggested that the 15th party congress should give a call to the Congress to join the CPI and other Left and secular parties in a national campaign against communalism. For a party whose cadre strength has remained stagnant at 4.5 lakhs for the last three years the CPI could do with a shot-in-the-arm campaign against communalism.

There is no party that does not profess to be secular. However there are parties that are perceived to have better secularist credentials than others The CPI which has the credentials stands to benefit from the Congress clout in any joint campaign against communalism.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 24, 1992