A Communist Plot?
SL Rao, a former director-general of the National Council for Applied Economic Research, senses a method to the madness of the Indian Left. He writes in the Telegraph:
Many suspect a much more ominous plan behind communist obduracy. Their well-thought out strategy for India might replicate their successful strategies in gaining West Bengal. It begins with frightening away existing industry and new investment through militant labour actions. It includes stimulating law and order problems with acts of random violence. On seizing power, they capture mass votes, as in West Bengal, by land reforms. They place their cadre in strategic positions in government at all levels so that they have an unbeatable electoral machine. Meanwhile, industry and investment flee and the economy deteriorates. After achieving full control over the state machinery, they stop labour militancy and violence to attract investment, as in West Bengal.
That’s an entertaining conspiracy theory, and he elaborates on it here. However, I don’t quite buy it. I think the Left is rigid and self-deluded, not (this) clever and (this) conniving. Good material for a political bestseller, though.
The problem with any conspiracy theory is that it surely does give a lot of importance and credibility to the so called “conspirators” than is due.
I agree that though the Left generally has an educated elite class at its helm (Politburo etc) in India, I do not really buy that theory as well. However is sounds eerie and sometimes even true. I hope not.
Now that they “control” the center it sounds even more dangerous
Comment by @mit — August 17, 2005 @ 4:33 pm
But seriously what is wrong with this game plan of Left? Where are other opposition parties? Can you not ascribe some other kind of conspiracy theory to BJP? You can.
The point is - that is how the competitive politics works in a democracy. One person’s conspiracy theory becomes the play book or political agenda for the other. As long as the game is played as per the rules, everything is fair. And you have to understand at each stage every single player and political force would try to manipulate even the rules of the game to her advantage.
It becomes less useful to understand such so-called conspiracies of either Left or BJP or Congress. What is more useful is to constantly see:
- whether the politics is played as per the Law or Constitution and
- whether the ruling party is executing what it claims to achieve.
In case of Left, the opposition is failing to do that. If you have Mamata fighting with Congress, you have less chance of removing CPM from power in Bengal. In Kerala, so many times CPM has been removed from the power. And what about other states? Left has singularly failed to make dent into power base of regional parties despite the fertile ground for their kind of ideology in those states.
I do not subscribe to Left’s ideology nor wish them electoral success. But that should not make me to worry about their conspiracy theories. At this point of India’s Democratic evolution, we should be less worried about any conspiracy theories. It is like what Indira Gandhi used to call “CIA’s hand”. We know that hardly CIA worried to bother about India’s domestic politics as well as framing this way it hardly resolves our problems. Get over with any kind of conspiracy theories and deal with Indian politics what it is - competitive party based politics in a democracy. SL Rao is simply an old horse reciting worn out ways.
Comment by Umesh Patil — August 22, 2005 @ 1:44 am
Umesh
You said
“whether the politics is played as per the Law or Constitution”
the _STATED_ goal of the left is the destruction of India and its constitution because they are weapons of the “oppressors”.
Why should people whose goal is to destroy the game be allowed to play the game?
Democracy and Freedom is not a license to commit National Suicide.
Freedom is not Free - People whose goal is to remove freedom - “_DICTATORSHIP_ of the proletariat” - (communists) must be banned.
Comment by UlluKaPatha — August 27, 2005 @ 5:42 pm
ofcourse, it is the ace psec amit varma who thinks it is just a conspiracy theory. cant accept anything bad about the ‘oh! so secular and progressive’ left.
so amit, is dyfi being funded by petrodollars or “allah for india’s desctruction” - AID?
Comment by blackpanther — August 31, 2005 @ 1:31 am
Heh. Blackpanther, I’m hardly someone to defend the Left, “secular and progressive” or not, as anyone who’s read my writing will know. Wrong target! :)
Comment by Amit Varma — August 31, 2005 @ 3:05 am