Bharat Band

BHARAT BANDH, 20^TH SEPTEMBER 2012.

We all have witnessed the tamasha on Bharat Bandh, a call given by BJP and eight opposition parties.  Otherwise what would have been a serious affair has turned out to be a ridiculous event.  What is very strange and unacceptable is that CPM and CPI were sharing the stage with BJP.  Later Sitaram Yechuri was questioned about his participation in the Bandh and sharing the stage with BJP. He resorted to justify his stand by saying that the event was called by traders and he was with the traders’ agitation against FDI in retail.  He even went out to bring Mulayam Singh Yadhav to the venue to share the cause with BJP and others.  We shall reflect on the drama staged by Mulayam Singh later.

Does CPM and CPI not know that when NDA under the leadership of BJP was in power they were keen to get FDI in multi brand retail to India?  Do they not know the stand NDA and particularly BJP had taken on disinvestment and their zeal to implement the Neo Liberal policies initiated by Narasimha Rao?  BPJ and its spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad admitted just two days before the Bandh that they would allow FDI in retail but their approach would be different.  He admitted this when he was cornered with a question of their plan to bring in FDI in retail to India during their rule and that in Panjab where they share power with Akali Dal, Walmart is already operating since some years.  He had argued that the time for FDI retail is not ripe yet.  The he was taunted with a statement, ‘the time will be ripe when BJP comes to power’.  There seems to be so much truth in this.

We should recall the revelation made by Wiki leaks cables.  On May 6, 2005 Arun Jaitley seemed to have remarked to Robert Blake at the US embassy that 'Hindu nationalism' is an 'opportunistic issue' for his party (Economic Times and DNA March 26, 2011).   Given this revelation we know that the agitation by BJP against FDI in retail is also an opportunist issue and they will implement this the moment they come to power.

It is pity that when the toiling masses are looking at the left parties to champion their cause and take a principled stand on the issues related to their plight that the left decides to play a drama.

After a while CPM leaders are seen into another honeymoon with Mulayam Singh Yadhav about 20 meters away from the venue of NDA drama.  Mulayam made it clear that he was not with BJP and NDA in their bandh.  He even succeeded in preventing Telugu Desam chief, Chandra Babu Naidu from joining with the BJP on their stage.  Here Mulayam Singh Yadhav declares a third front, an alternative to BJP led NDA and Congress led UPA.  Who authorised him to make this declaration?  He complains that the UPA did not consult him on FDI retail or diesel price hike.  But an important issue such as formation of Third Front he seemed to have consulted no one and all the parties outside UPA and NDA are supposed to be part of this front.  May be the Left parties and TDP would be the only constituents of this front.  With all his show of agitation against FDI in retial, diesel price hike etc he still continues to support UPA.  Whereas Mamata walked out of alliance with UPA on these issues she did not call for a bandh in West Bengal.

We are not sure why Mayavati, Naveen Patnaik, Jaya Lalitha, Shiv Sena, Mamata Banerjee did not participate in the bandh.  Are they in the Fourth Front?