CAFE
COM:PORT
CHAT JOCKEYS
EVENTS

The Harkishan Singh Surjeet Chat

Balagopal: We did not discuss Jyoti Basu's statement. Because we had made a statement the same day reiterating the position of the party. Adhering to the decision taken by the central committee in May. We did discuss the political situation in the country. Certain achievements of the government. Such as improve relations with China. Solution of the Ganga waters issue with Bangladesh. Improvement of Centre-state relations. Where there is no interference in the state now and all the states are being treated equally in relation to financial allocation. When the 9th plan was being discussed, it is for the first time that no state grumbled. We did show concern about the economic situation, particularly the price rise that too of food grains and flour. And demanded from the government immediate steps to organise the PDS so that the price rise can be neutralised. We did criticise the government on disinvestment of the PSUs and privatisation of insurance and the invitation to MNCs which is also being criticised by FICCI and ASSOCHAM which demand that the shares of the foreign company should not be allowed to be more than 40%. We have demanded from the govt that those parts of the Common Minimum Programme which benefits the common man should be given priority and implemented. Such as PDS, agriculture labour legislation, land reforms, reservation for women, Lok Pal bill, electoral reform and 6% investment in education and 6% in health and that too primary health etc. We also have given a call to observe one week from February 7 onwards in protest against the price rise by holding meetings and demonstrations in the country.

good evening, mr surjeet. you have hinted at the possibility of general elections in 1997. What do you know that the rest of us don't? Would you share it with us?

Mr Singh: What do you have to say about the observation made by West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu that the CPM made the historical political blunder by not joining the UF to lead it ???

Jimmy: The point must be understood that the UF consists of 12 parties. It came into existence in a peculiar situation after the elections. There is a divergence of opinion on some important questions though there is a general agreement on many. We have the right to criticise. But being part of the UF we cannot vote against the Budget as a whole.

Thank you, Sir, for your elaborate response. I believe the UF steering committee meets tomorrow to discuss the Budget. What will you Mr Chidambaram? Do you feel Mr Chidambaram is too enamoured of the reforms to really care about your opposition?

Mr Singh: Do you favour entry of foreign media in the country ?

Mr Surjeet, do you believe the centrist parties and Left parties need to widen their agenda? I don't think an anti-BJP agenda will be sufficient to defeat that party at the hustings the next time.

Mr Surjeet, I am a student of politics at the LSE. I have read with great admiration about your efforts in keeping the United Front together. Were there many moments in these last six months when it seemed that the Front was on the verge of collapse? How have 13 parties been able to work together?

Ryan: That situation has not arisen so far where one can visualise a collapse. Because there is no change in the corelation of forces in the country and the position of various poitical forces like the BJP and the Congress which can influence the change.

Mr. Singh : 50 years since the colonials left, & the sarkar still functions like an oppressor. What has your party done about this now that you are in power?

What about Punjab? Your party has joined three other parties in an alliance to defeat the Akali-BJP combine. How realistic are your chances? Do you believe the troubles of the eighties will return if the Akalis come to power or will the BJP act as a brake on those aspirations?

Mr. Surjeet, what is the future of CPI-M beyond the cosy settlements of W.Bengal and Kerala? How long do you think that you will be able to play a role in national politics without a real national base?

Mr Singh: Do you think that militants are resurfacing again in Punjab? Will they affect the ensuing assembly elections?

hi everyne.. Hello MR SINGH!

Swaminathan: I think you must give credit to this government for exposing corruption during the period of the existence of this government. The CBI has played a big role. Even those files which were seemed to be closed to cover up corruption have been opened and the former prime minister and more than 20 of his colleagues have been chargesheeted in corruption cases. Even in the states ruled by the ruling party like Bihar, the CBI is unhesitantly pursuing to expose the corruption. You must give credit to this government for its performance in this respect.

Com. Surjeet, recently the UF government trying to clip the wings of CBI and other agencies. Are you bringing up these issues in the steering committee ? Why do the govt going for this ?

Comrade, if an election is held this year, what are the issues that will dominate it? The BJP has reiterated its belief in Hindutva this week, so will it again be a contest between faith and secularism? Don't you think the failure of a colaition will encourage coters to vote for the BJP and its claim of strong governance?

Why are the CPM unions in Mumbai so ineffective? Why has it so run down in the last 30 years?

Will your party withdraw support to the UF if it enters into an arrangement with the Congress as is being hinted in some Indian newspapers? Don't you think it is better to have such an arrangement rather than allow an election and the BJP to come to power?

Are the foreign insurance companies in or out? How far would you go to oppose it?

Mr Surjeet, what is your party's stand on foreign equity participation in the aviation sector?

Surjeetsinhji, why was the Left unable to exploit the forces of social chane in North India? Is this not an admission that caste is a more potent force in India than Communism?

Tareek: It is necessary to keep the BJP out of power because it is necessary to defend national unity. The BJP advocates a concept of state based on Hindutva. India is a country which we call unity in diversity. People having different religious beliefs, different languages, different culture, different heritage live in this country. If communal politics is allowed to have its way national unity gets disrupted and as a consequence it poses a threat to the country's unity. In this country more than 160 million people belong to the minorities. The co-operation of the Congress to this government does not mean that we have given up our opposition to the Congress. In fact in the states where we are strong like, Bengal, Tripura and Kerala our direct confrontation is with the Congress whose policies have created the present situation.

Why are the CPM unions in Mumbai so ineffective? Why has it so run down in the last 30 years?

Com Surjeet, I do agree with you that the govt is exposing the corruption. But the govt is not trying to put an end to this. Why ?

Mr Surjeet, when Nripen Chakravarty criticised Jyotibabu, he was expelled from your party despite his awesome achievements. Now that Jyotibabu has also spoken out of line, why is the Politburo keepin mum? Is this because Jyotibabu is a hard taret and Nripenbabu was a soft one?

How would communism answer the problems facing the nation? After all, every other country which was once a communist bastion - except maybe China and Cuba - have rejected it totally as a form of governance. What makes you think it will work here?

Mr. Surjeet, if one looks beyond the heat & dust raised by CPI-M rhetoric and checks the bottomline, it really appears that we are looking at another tiny Congress-I, although more organized.The party seems to be extra-zealous about analysis, commenting, reacting rather than building a new path for it's own. For the past 20 years, CPI-M has consistently denied their earlier stances and came closer to centrist Congress line. What is the future of CPI-M brand?

What about Punjab? Your party has joined three other parties in an alliance to defeat the Akali-BJP combine. How realistic are your chances? Do you believe the troubles of the eighties will return if the Akalis come to power or will the BJP act as a brake on those aspirations?