Karat calls for alternative to Congress, BJP

The country needed a third alternative comprising Left and democratic forces outside the Congress and the BJP, general secretary Prakash Karat said on Sunday.

The country needed a third alternative comprising Left and democratic forces outside the Congress and the BJP, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said on Sunday. He also called for greater unity of the Left parties towards this end. “We have a communal party like the BJP on one side and a party of capitalists like the Congress on the other. We need a third alternative. This can be achieved only if the Left unity is strengthened,” Karat said at an open rally on the eve of the CPI(M)’s four-day state conference at Mahajati Sadan.

Accusing the Congress-led UPA Government of failing to redress the problems faced by common people despite nine per cent GDP growth, he said the Centre was indifferent to the suicide of nearly two lakh farmers over the last 10 years. The Centre was also trying to ruin PDS and open the retail sector to big investors. If this happens, lakhs of small traders would be wiped out, he said.

“So we are telling the government to take steps to properly implement the Common Minimum Programme. But if it tries to open the banking, insurance, agriculture and retail sectors to foreign investments, we will not accept,” he said.

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Referring to West Bengal, he said a conspiracy was on to weaken CPI(M) and in the coming days the party would make efforts to unite the secular forces against this.

Earlier, veteran leader Jyoti Basu made it clear that the CPI(M)’s goal of a socialist state and a classless society were not immediately achievable because the party is working under a capitalist system.

“We Marxists want to bring about a radical change since our goal is to achieve socialism to usher in a classless society. But it is not possible to achieve that end being in power in only three states,” the former CM said. “Socialism is CPI(M)’s ultimate goal, but that is a far cry being in a capitalist system in India,” Basu said calling for capturing power in Delhi to achieve that end.

Pained at the growing differences in the ruling Left Front, Basu sought an amicable settlement of issues and advised Front partners not to weaken the unity of the Left Front in the state. “Today, problems are cropping up in running the Front. But discussions are on with the partners by Left Front chairman to sort out differences,” Basu said.

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On the other hand, Karat sought to put an end to the debate over proposing Jyoti Basu’s name for Bharat Ratna. “What do we do with Bharat Ratna? Our leaders do not accept state awards. This is our stated position,” he said at the sidelines of the rally.

However, on Saturday Basu himself said that he was not in the race for Bharat Ratna.