D. Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India, accuses Congress and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of being short-sighted and asks the party to introspect. He campaigned for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Munnar for the Kerala assembly elections and spoke to The Hindu. Edited excerpts:
Are you speaking to the Tamil population in Munnar in Tamil…
I campaigned in Tamil in Thiruvananthapuram and Punalur as people wanted. There is so much affection and people want to hear about issues related to their livelihood and the progress of the state rather than baseless allegations.
As the Left in Kerala seeks continuity, it is under fire for its alleged tacit understanding with the BJP as well as the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
These are all baseless allegations. If we look at the history, Kerala elected the world’s first communist government through a vote in 1957. People here know very well what the Left movement stands for and what the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) stands for. No one can undermine the political maturity and ideological understanding of the people of Kerala.
The Left is the most uncompromising force fighting against communal and fascist forces, be it majority or minority. When Mr. Gandhi says “The Left has lost its Leftist character”, what does he mean? Will he be able to explain?
Narendra Modi talks in the same way as if the Left and the Congress have become one. In fact, it was the Left that fought and broke the one-party rule—the Congress rule—in 1957. And now Mr. Modi is talking about “one nation, one election” as if he could reverse history. People will judge political parties based on their performance and their political and ideological vision for the future of Kerala. According to the mood of the people, I believe that the LDF will continue in power for the third term.
The adult franchise is one of the major achievements and strengths of our democracy and it is entirely up to them how the people vote. However, we have no ideological or political compromise with any communal forces.
Given the debacle of the LDF in the local body elections just two months ago, isn’t anti-establishment at work?
Yes, there have been some setbacks, but people vote in local body elections taking into account many factors such as local administrative affairs and individual behaviour.
In matters that have far-reaching implications for the welfare of the people and the development of the state, people make wise and deliberate decisions.
At the national level, we are witnessing how democracy is being undermined, how the Constitution is being undermined and how federalism is being undermined. People analyze it all.
Kerala is known for its communal harmony; people live together and share their problems and challenges. This is why the Left matters to the people of Kerala.
Is the Left concerned that the BJP is making inroads into the Kerala establishment?
Definitely. Its vote share has recently increased to some extent and its propaganda has spread. Starting with the Chief Minister, top BJP leaders often visit Kerala as they see Left-ruled Kerala as a challenge for them.
Therefore, they are desperately trying to gain a foothold in the state. Their desperation is clear from Mr. Modi’s body language. He comes to Kerala and talks about ‘Viksit Keralam’. He used to talk about ‘Viksit Bharat’. what happened to it? Is Kerala not a part of ‘Viksit Bharat’?
Where is BJP in South India? What worries the BJP is that people continue to reject it. Party manipulations in Bihar, Maharashtra and Haryana are not working here.
The South has its own distinct history and the BJP knows that its policies cannot succeed in that region. In Tamil Nadu, people still refer to Periyar. In Kerala people talk about Sree Narayana Guru and the first communist government which introduced many progressive measures. The BJP is therefore desperate and so is Mr. Modi.
Mr Modi came here and raised the issue of Kerala debt. Now people and I are asking: what is India’s foreign debt today? Who is to blame? What happened to the value of the Indian rupee? Mr Modi should be ashamed of this situation.
When he was the chief minister of Gujarat, he said that the value of the Indian rupee reflects the honor of the nation. Where is the honor now?
You mentioned Rahul Gandhi’s comments. Is Congress just as desperate after being out of power for 10 years?
Yes, the Congress and Mr. Gandhi are desperate. But they should undergo some serious introspection. Congress must take responsibility for the defeat of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar elections. There was no proper seat-sharing or joint campaigning. The situation in Haryana was no different and the Congress should take the blame.
The ideological bankruptcy and political incompetence of the Congress is plain to see. Yet he refuses to introspect on how to function effectively in a democracy like ours. That is why Congress is desperate and stooping to such a low level and resorting to smear campaigns and accusations.
So is Congress responsible for the failures of the INDIA block?
This is exactly what we have been pointing out to Congress. When we work together, there must be mutual trust and mutual accommodation.
Our primary objective is to protect the constitution, protect the secular democratic republic and move the country forward on the principles of social justice and equality.
As far as Kerala is concerned, LDF’s performance is there for everyone. If the Congress really wants to criticize the LDF, let it address even one issue and criticize the government on that basis. We can safely say that the LDF government has been successful on many fronts. Kerala ranks first in many indices: it has recorded the lowest multidimensional poverty index, leads in healthcare, life expectancy is 75 years, and there has been significant progress in education and public sector employment. The government also increased the minimum wages for workers.
So let the Congress identify at least one issue on which it can argue that the LDF government has failed or made no progress. Instead, she resorted to a smear campaign. This is something Mr. Gandhi should realize; as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he must speak with more responsibility.
How do you see the performance of the Left in the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal elections?
In Tamil Nadu, the Left is contesting 10 seats. The VCK, a party that claims to be close to the left, is running for eight. The DMK-led coalition has emerged as a strong alliance in Tamil Nadu with a clear political and ideological perspective. The DMK and Chief Minister MK Stalin have openly stated that the BJP should not gain any foothold in Tamil Nadu and the coalition seems to have the upper hand.
In Puducherry, Congress played a negative role and did not allow proper seat sharing.
In Bengal, the Left is doing everything in its power to revive itself, to re-emerge as a force to be reckoned with and to influence the political course of West Bengal.
There are many complex issues in Assam and the Chief Minister is particularly aggressive on communal lines.
