Prakash Karat's obsolete hardline
will cost West Bengal and India dearly
________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Biplab Pal, Editor Fosaac.TV,
8 April, 2008
Few sights were completely unmistaken in the concluded CPM
18th party congress in Coimbatore. One of the key
story that dripped of very squarely from several news reports—CM of WB Buddhadeb was humbled and made obedient of hard party
liners led by Karat given several gestures from his speech. Firstly, Buddha
apologized before the audience that he had been instructed to speak only on the
failure of Congress instead of his experience of industrialization and
surviving within capitalist network. Even on last day of party Congress,
he was forced to raise slogans against SEZ and aggressive capitalist policy of
the center. Compare this with 17th party congress when Prakash
didn't have supreme control of CPM-Buddha flawlessly asserted policy of
industrialization in West Bengal. If indications are clear enough, West Bengal
is about to be plunged into myriad of industrial graveyards of 70s and 80s.
Worst, this time India will not be unscathed from symbolic red hammer as Prakash is wielding power in the center as well. If his
obdurate and unintelligible opposition to civilian nuclear deal is any
indication of what is expected out of leftist coalition, India's meteoric
growth to twenty first century which has been effectuated by its hard working
educated middle class, will soon be balanced off by a few antediluvian comrades
who never won a popular mandate but enjoyed supremacy in ideological circle of
the party.
Crushing of industrial development for the sake of blind
anti-Americanism is nothing new to comrade Prakash.
When Boeing and Disneyland almost settled on investing in West Bengal in 2001,
this Malayali man having no sympathy or feeling for
people of West Bengal who suffered a complete draught of industrialization
starting from leftist rule of 1977 to 1996 till Buddha was acceded to power,
axed the investment deal for his love of anti-Americanism. Result? Boeing
fled to Pune and Disneyland considered Hyderabad as
hotter destination. Thousands of prospective jobs were lost in West Bengal-of
course it does not matter to Prakash Karat because he
does not belong to soil of Bengal—but it did matter to Buddha along with any
resident of West Bengal.
Fortunately in 2001, he was not powerful enough to
strangle the prospect of India-this time he is and well into the action with
opposition of Civilian nuclear deal. Neat result?
India will lag behind in industrialization in a matter of another two decades.
Because Uranium as a fuel is very cheap compared to coal (besides it is
environmentally clean) and generation 5th nuclear reactor will be a far more
efficient source compared to Hydel or Wind power,
insatiable need for industrial power in the future will constrain the
industrial growth of India. If somebody has any doubt that the deal is
against the interest of India and is not otherwise, I will suggest them to read
the actual draft of the agreement online --(http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=s109-3709)
. When I read about Prakash's heated statement of
imperialistic design in this act, I must say this man is insane-completely
anti-American maniacal. But as a Bengali, I am familiar with this kind of
historical insanity of the left. In 1984, leftists boycotted computerization of
West Bengal amidst the hypothetical fear that it would lead to loss of jobs.
This resulted in unplumbed loss for West Bengal as IT industry was welcomed and
groomed in the South India. Same fate will repeat with civilian nuclear deal
but this time for the whole India. Even our poor neighbor Bangladesh is going
for Nuclear power helped by NSG. I will not be surprised if India would be
forced to borrow power from Bangladesh in 2020 to meet its industrial demand.
India is the largest democracy with greatest media
power in the world. If this act imposes anything against the interest of India,
it will not avoid media scrutiny-no power in the center will embrace that risk.
In reality, 123 agreement did fair justice to both
India and USA in safeguarding their military interest. Besides, if history is
not forgotten, there is no way one can impose international laws on India (for
that matter any large democracy). So the fear-psychotic of imperialism created
around the deal is completely ersatz and ploy for political game of haywire
leftists. But, we, the common Indians, aspirant of twenty first century
residents in the world, are continuing to suffer at the hand of a few leftists
ideologues. In the past, it was only Bengal—now the whole India will be
hammered in the same way West Bengal suffered its drowning fate.