15.09.07
Oppose AISA’s politics of lies and slander against the Left
The Indo-US Nuclear Deal is currently at the centre of politics in our country. On the one hand we have the ruling classes and the elites in accordance with the Congress led UPA Government clamouring in favour of the Deal, which will pave the way for more and more subservience to US interests. On the other hand, we have a mass opposition to the Indo-US Nuclear Deal and the growing proclivity of the Indian Government to the USA, led by the Left Parties. The struggle which has ensued in the national arena today is a struggle for upholding our independence, sovereignty and anti-imperialist legacy. In this struggle it is only natural that the Left which has always been the torchbearers of anti-imperialism in India is leading the charge.
Given this mass based opposition to the Indo-US Nuclear Deal under the leadership of the Left, the main opposition party in the country, BJP is in complete shambles. After all, the architecture for the present strategic alliance with the USA was detailed under the BJP-led NDA rule! In order to hide its hypocrisy in now opposing the nuclear deal, the BJP succeeded in its diabolical effort to subvert a parliamentary discussion on the Indo-US nuclear deal. A discussion in the parliament would have clearly demonstrated, presuming that the BJP would have echoed its public opposition to the deal inside the parliament, that a majority of the Indian parliament is opposed to the deal. It is, however, clear that the BJP chose to disrupt the debate as it would have exposed its double speak on the issue as evident from Mr. Advani's public retracing of the BJP's initial opposition. The opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal on the part of the BJP is also extremely opportunistic. This is evident from the fact that the BJP has attacked the Left for not toppling the Government, while preventing a discussion in the Parliament.
In this national political context, it is shameful that the AISA's point of attack on the issue of nuclear deal continues to be the Left, particularly, CPI(M). The pamphlet of AISA, 13-09-07, only reinforces our point that the ultra-left in our campus is the most sectarian. While the country has witnessed massive mobilization of the people under the leadership of the Left against the nuclear deal and the Joint Naval exercises, the CPI(M-L) or AISA or any other naxal outfit has not mobilized anybody against the deal. Why? Simply because the ultra-left is obsessed with the crudest form of anti-CPI(M) politics and do not care for having any meaningful intervention at the national level against the anti-people policies pursued by the ruling classes. No wonder that the people of the country has thoroughly rejected their politics, whereby the CPI (M-L) does not even have a single MP in the Parliament.
The AISA in the most infantile manner has charged the CPI(M) of double speak for appreciating the PM's assurances given to the Parliament on 17th August 2006 and then demanding non-operationalisation of the 123 agreement now. This is, to say the least, a childish assertion, bordering on political illiteracy. In August 2006, the Left parties had raised 9 points regarding the Indo-US nuclear deal, which were addressed through concrete assurances made by the Prime Minister in Parliament on 17th August 2006. However, after that the Hyde Act was passed in December 2006, the CPI (M) and the Left parties had stated that the Hyde Act provisions were grossly violative of the assurances made by the Prime Minister in Parliament. The Left parties had asked the Government not to proceed with the negotiations on the bilateral agreement. Four such statements were issued since December 2006. To argue a CPI(M) double speak without taking into account the passing of the Hyde Act in the US, after the PM's statements, is being deliberately malicious against the Left, parroting the slander of the media.
AISA's political bankruptcy is also exposed by its attacking the CPI (M) for not having a vote in the Parliament on the Nuclear Deal. A minimum amount of knowledge regarding the proceedings in the Parliament is enough for one to understand that never in the history of Indian Parliament has a foreign treaty been put to vote. The present Speaker of the Parliament has only acted according to the rules of the House. The Left Parties do not agree with this provision and has stated that “The Left parties will press for a Constitutional amendment for bringing international treaties and certain bilateral agreements for approval in parliament.” (Left Parties Statement on August 7, 2007). To blame the Left for not putting the agreement to vote, while remaining completely silent on the BJP's disruption of any discussion in the Parliament, only shows the shallow levels of political understanding that the AISA as an organization has.
The people of this country are testimony to the valiant struggle that the Left is waging against the Indo-US Nuclear Deal and the policies of the UPA to become junior partners of US imperialism. In this struggle, it is of utmost importance that all progressive forces join hands. AISA's political bankruptcy and single point anti-Left agenda is only strengthening the hands of the right wing. We appeal to the student community to rally bahind the Left in opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal while isolating the pro-US BJP and the anti-Left sectarian AISA.
Sd/- Rajiv Ranjan, Secretary, SFI-JNU; Sd/- Roshan Kishore, President, SFI-JNU.
