Communists’ Conundrum

After providing support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for four years (2004–08), the communists were ditched by the Congress party. At this crucial juncture, the Congress did not hesitate to join hands with the Samajwadi Party (SP). How did the Congress dare to use and throw the ally on whose support it had been able to form the government? Leave alone the number count, it should have honoured the commitments made in the common minimum programme. It was moral turpitude of the highest order.

The communists are sinners, no less. They have played with the sentiments of the people who voted for them (60 members of Parliament), not for just sitting outside the government and supporting it. While in government, they could have injected the elements of socialism into the planning and policy formulation of India, but they chose otherwise. Are they unable to understand the fact that participation in the government provides a platform to put forward your viewpoint in an effective manner and widen the horizons of your ideology by enlarging and strengthening the party cadre? Are they so unwise? Certainly not. Some people feel that there must have been some “deal,” bigger than the India–United States nuclear deal that became a point of contention, and the communists pulled out their support from the UPA–I. Will they please announce what price they have charged for selling off the sentiments of their voters and conscious citizens?