Letter to BS on CPI (M) should be equidistant from BJP and Congress

With reference to “Divided we stand” (January 19), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) would do well to revisit history. So long as the Left eschewed ideological extremes it gained in stature. The Left evolved as part of the Congress around 1920 and did well till it veered in excess to the left-wing and lost ground in 1928. Later, moving back to the centre it prospered in the Congress collective. Then in 1942 it went Marxist to lose lustre thereafter.

Post-1960s, it allied again with the Congress and came to represent the trademark red in Indian politics. For three decades the Left grew in clout and was highly comfortable in the much sought after left-of-centre space in a growing economy. Alienation from the Congress returned during the United Progressive Alliance-I rule over the nuclear deal with the US, and reached its nadir at Singur. The CPI (M) has always had this fatal charm for the extreme red. It’s time it realised that its comfort zone was never in the extremes, but had always been closer to the central arena and the Congress.

R Narayanan, Ghaziabad Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to: 

The Editor, Business Standard

Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg 

New Delhi 110 002 

Fax: (011) 23720201  ·  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in

All letters must have a postal address and telephone number