Editorial: 'LALGADH: A 'LEFTIST' LETDOWN in Law Animated World, Vol. 5, Part 1, No. 12, 30 June 2009 issue

LALGADH: A ‘LEFTIST’ LETDOWN

A basically political animal he is, this editor has been keenly enquiring about the socio-economic developments, and the pros and cons of the left front government, during his frequent trips to Bengal ever since 1985. It was appalling to find that save for the initial radical measures to better the deprived share-croppers and empower rural masses to an extent, no other welfare/construction schemes were taken in a big way there. For instance, there have been no large-scale housing schemes for the poor and lower middle classes and whatever low/middle income group colonies exist are all conceived, planned and built during the good old B.C. Roy era. Even the prestigious Salt Lake, which the leftists so vociferously opposed those days but so luxuriously populate these days, was the vision and work of B.C. Roy. The public distribution system there is woeful. So, the plight of the more distressed rural masses and tribals could be easily imagined and all said and done, the non-communist southern states’ governments were administering better, in a more social welfarist manner. No wonder the Left Front began to rapidly lose support among the urban masses first and now, due to its about-turn-policies of supporting the LPG policies, even in rural areas. The recent rebellion in Lalgadh, once a left front stronghold but now considered a Maoist citadel, illustrates the tragic consequences of this ‘leftist letdown’. But, beware Maoists, their glee at the predicament of the parliamentary left there may also not be conducive to people’s real interests. More distressing is that by such precipitation of events, and due to their violent armed actions – and that unmindful of the recent international developments, especially the debacle of the LTTE and the crisis in Nepal – they have given occasion to the central government to outlaw them all over India and this would certainly damage their prospects considerably, though not totally. Their belligerent actions and attitudes may not win them the hearts and minds of the masses at large and would in noway further any common leftist ideal of establishment of democratic socialism in the country either.   §§§