In Kerala, a state with its time-tested social and political tradition which seeks to bind all sections of people together, irrespective of religion or caste, the emergence of the National Democratic Alliance as an alternative to the two mainstream political fronts had its repercussions among a section of the minorities. The fluctuation in the voting preferences signals the crisis the Left Democratic Front is facing. Except for the extremely poor, all other socio-economic groups, including Dalits, Other Backward Castes, the lower classes and the younger generation, are highly volatile and are changing their political preferences, depending on the unfolding social reality.
With less than three weeks left for the Cancun ministerial meeting and negotiations having entered the critical phase this week at the William Rappard Centre that houses the WTO in Geneva, it is time to take a look at how India's negotiating positions are shaping up.
