Whipped OFF Marxism

Whipped OFF Marxism
indian Holocaust My father`s Life and Time : SIX

Palash Biswas
PTI reported: CPI (M) likely to send a tough message to Somnath

Exasperated by Somnath Chatterjee’s refusal to resign from the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post, the Central Committee of the CPI(M) is likely to send a tough message to the veteran parliamentarian during its meeting here over the weekend. As the Speaker, who was in Hyderabad today for an eye checkup, dug in his heels and refused to heed party’s subtle and blatant hints, the party is said to be under pressure from its leaders for sending some strong message to him to quit.

More than a week has passed since the Left parties withdrew support to the government and virtually told him to toe the party line, the Speaker has been raising issues like the post being above partisan politics and that he cannot vote along with the ‘communal’ BJP.
WhiPped OFF Marxism!
Yes, it happened at last to get an Escape route for Brahminical Marxist hegemony in West Bengal!
Here you are!
An excellent synthesis of Ideology and constitution embodied in the Bolepur Don, the Speaker of Indian Parliament!
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has been left out of the whip issued by CPM to its MPs to vote against the Government in the trust vote on July 22.
Well, this is the logical result of hectic parleys in and around Indira Bhavan, salt lake , kolkata! The Bengal unit of the CPI(M) appeared to be falling behind Prakash Karat on whether Speaker Somnath Chatterjee should resign and vote against the government ahead of its state commmittee and Left Front meeting today, with transport minister Subhas Chakrabarty filing an apology for saying that he felt Chatterjee should not resign and that the CPI(M) should not vote with the BJP when the no-confidence motion was put to vote in Parliament on July 22.Chakrabarty was a protege of former chief minister and CPI(M) senior leader Jyoti Basu like Chatterjee. A section of Left leaders had interpreted his comment as reflecting the viewpoint of Basu but Basu had reportedly refused to endorse Chakrabarty’s line.
The CPI(M) and state committee of the Left Front would meet in Kolkata on July 18 and 19 to discuss the July 22 vote.
The much debated issue of Somnath Chatterjee’s resignation from the post of Lok Sabha speaker finds no mention on the agenda of the two-day central committee meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) beginning in Delhi from Saturday. “This issue is not on the agenda,” CPI-M central committee member Mohammad Salim told reporters here after the party’s West Bengal state secretariat meeting Friday.
Another central committee member and the state industry minister Nirupam Sen also echoed Salim.
Most amusing and entretaining part of the story is the Real life surrender of a CPIM General party who could not tame a party MP.The Kerala leadership could not repeat the experience of the Himalayan blunder while the most famous duo of opportunist alliance politics branded Ideological, comrade harkshan Surjeet, then GS and jyoti basu the prime minister candidate just failed to romp home in Power Politics in New delhi because the south Lobby with active cooperation from West Bengal pulled basu down from a climax of Rising as the first Red Star in indian destiny!
Now see the Revenge Play. No soliloquy heard but with fullest impact Basu subdued the Kerala Leadership in most humiliation!
What they planned!
THE COMMUNIST Party of India – Marxist (CPIM) would initiate action against Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for refusing to step down, according to reliable sources. The decision to take action against the obstinate Chatterjee would be taken on July 19, when the party’s Central Committee is scheduled to meet in New Delhi. As reported earlier {vide, ‘Chatterjee embarrasses the CPI-(M)’}, Chatterjee’s name figured in the list of MPs the Left Front submitted to the President when it met the latter to convey its decision to withdraw its support to the Central government. In view of this fact, senior leaders of the party, like Prakash Karat, requested Chatterjee to quit as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. But Chatterjee did not budge. He maintained that the Speaker was above party politics. So he would not quit. Instead, he would continue to discharge his duties as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Efforts were made to persuade him to quit by seeking the intervention of senior party leader Jyoti Basu but to no avail.
What was the Result?
Election Phobia enveloped the Bengali Brahman comrades that they had to toe the Jyoti Basu line! A quite influential section of the party leadership does not favour Chatterjee resigning the Speaker’s post. The pro-Congress elements in the party have been supporting Chatterjee’s stand.
And they Won the Game outright defeating Karat and company down to earth!
And, when asked whether there is any likelihood that the matter could be discussed in the central committee meeting, Sen said: “I don’t know whether it will be placed on the table.”
CPI-M state secretary Biman Bose said Thursday that the issue could be discussed if it was raised by any member.
Meanwhile, senior party leader and state sports and transport minister Subhas Chakraborty has given a letter to Bose admitting that he made a mistake by speaking to the media about his opposition to the party’s decision to vote against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government along with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the July 22 confidence motion.
“Yes, he has given me a letter admitting his mistake,” Bose said.
Chakraborty had Monday said in a letter to party general secretary Prakash Karat that the communists would have to answer embarrassing questions from the people if their MPs voted against the Congress.
Peeved at Chakraborty’s public pronouncements, the party’s central committee had asked the state unit to seek an explanation from the firebrand leader.
The CPI-M and three other Left parties withdrew support to the UPA government, protesting its decision to go ahead with the India-US civilian nuclear deal. The Congress-led UPA government now faces a crucial floor test in the Lok Sabha to prove its majority.
The audiences to be fortunate to witness the TIMES NOW interview of the Heroic Speaker, projected as a protagonist of Parliamentary legacy and Constitutional commitment. He did never betray anything about the ongoing strategy in the Left camp. But the Lady beside him, Mrs Chatterjee looked so cool and relaxed! You might have watched. Just remember the event and decide why the lady so familiar with Parliamentary affairs and Marxist ways all these years could be so relaxed in such a hyper Tension situation!
I just told my journalist friends that you should write a scoop that CPIM would make the Speaker OFF Whip opening the Pandora`s box full of defection and divide among all political parties. Let us see how many whips would be there and how many will be violated!
it is Irony classical as the Left has managed Two votes` difference, one minus thanks to the constitutional commitment of the speaker and an ultimate casting vote of the speaker in case of a Tie! While the saviours are divided as a meeting of Samajwadi Party MPs held in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the crucial July 22 trust vote saw only 16 of the 39 Lok Sabha members turning up. It is reported widely that the Dalit Queen in Lucknow has managed to lure at least half a dozen SP MPs!The meeting, addressed by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and General Secretary Amar Singh, has assumed importance as the SP has become a crucial ally of the Congress-led coalition at the Centre ahead of the confidence motion.
The left led by CPIM talks so much on Anti fascism and Hindutva, RSS and communalism, but eventually it is ganging up with the RSS as it did in 1977 and 1989 coining some different Ideological ground. It constituted the UPA and accepted the office of the Lokasabha speaker and remained out of the GOI. Now it is the same Left which is more active to recall the RSS to resurrect the super Power Hindu Nation! It is not uncommon these days to hear that, for the first time since the first general elections in 1952, the Congress party would be reduced to a double-digit tally in the next Lok Sabha elections. Remember that the BJP already runs more state governments, either on its own or with allies, than the Congress. Remember, also, that the Congress has lost in as many ten assembly elections held after the last Lok Sabha elections in May 2004.
Exhausted over what it considers as Speaker’s defiance, the CPI-M Central Committee which is meeting on July 19 and 20 is likely to discuss the issue and may come out with a strong denunciation of the MP from Bolpur.

Chatterjee is said to be miffed with the party leadership over his name being included in the list of Left MPs withdrawing support to the government without consulting him.

Friends! Since my childhood, just when I was able to make sentences in Hindi, possibly in class three situation, I had been habitual to write drafts for my Social Activist father. He could not write Hindi fluently. He did not see any college door in his life and had no confidence to write the letters in English either.
But he was the man who led a refugee movement in Siliguri, West Bengal while the Ruling Hegemony did try to convert the Refugees into the status of Tea garden coolies! it was the beginning. He never stopped. He led the Dhimri Block Peasant s` Uprising in 1958. He led refugee movement in Rudrapur in 1956. he blocked Charbag RLY station for almost two days demanding rehabilitation for the 1964 riot victim refugees from east Bengal and the Bengali Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, MRs Sucheta Kriplani! since Jyoti Basu was annoyed with the man for his over activism in Kolkata and Refugee Camps, he was exported to Charbetia camp near Cuttuk in Orissa. He mobilised the refugees in Orissa and was finally thrown in the Jungles of Terai in Nainital in 1954. He organised the first All India refugee conference in Dineshpur, Nainital in 1960. he had the courage to argue with Legendary dalit leader jogendra Nath Mandal. He was arrested in a Bhasha Andolan Procession in Dhaka. Once again in 1971, he was arrested in Dhaka after the liberation of Bengal demanding unification of divided bengal to solve refugee problems. He had relations with every Prime Minister of India since Pdt. Jawaharlal nehru to Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Late refugee leader from the Terai of Nainital, Pulin kumar Biswas defied the Party whip and stood rock solid with the riot torn dalit Bengali refugees in 1960s.
He would write everyday letters to the GOI, Chief Minister, all political parties, administrators including commissioner, DM,SP and Bengali leaders countrywide. I had to write all the drafts. My home work was based on good readings of daily newspapers in Bengali, English and Hindi. i had to read all the classic literature since childhood.
Pulin babu was concerned with his people the dalit Bengali refugees scattered countrywide. But he was the unopposed leader of terai vikas sahkari sangh and represented peasant in terai from every community. He had to raise all the issues relating peasants. He had been a communist and was always busy to sort out national and international issues. He had been a very popular orator. He always preferred to talk and contact to the highest level. He addressed the President of India and the Prime minister daily. All lettres had to be registered with acknowledgement due. Our little Post Office in Dineshpur had been always busy in posting and receiving his letters. I had to get the letters typed from Rudrapur, nine mile away from our village without any link road in those days. I used my cycle so often. At the same time I had to buy all types of News papers, mags and literature from the Roadways Book and Newspapers` Stall. Only Mr Das was a good typist available in Rudrapur. Moreover, I had to post the urgent letters from the sub post office in Rudrapur. Even as a child I was responsible to hand over some very urgent letters to the officials based in Rudrapur including the Police Station. Some times, specially in the Police station, it was never a good experience. The Police men would abuse with most vulgar language with pinch of insult and I learnt very quickly to bear with it.
In 1967, after the General Elections, crossing fences came into vogue and remained for ever. my father wrote Mrs Indira Gandhi to introduce anti defection law and sent the copies to every politician whose address could be located. I drafted the letter.But no one seemed to pay any attention in those days.
In 1974, while I was a student in GIC and grown up enough to follow Marxist ways and had been guided by Tara Chandra Tripathi, Pulin babu left home for an All India tour. Despite differences in Ideology, strategies,politics, opinion and ways, despite lack of dialogue for so long, my father kept on depending on me for his drafts. even personalities like ND Tiwari and KC Pant would like my drafting and sometimes discussed some issues obliging a boy. But I never felt obliged. KC pant was the deputy minster in the department of Energy and NDTiwari was still based in Lucknow. father travelled all the Refugee colonies country wide and beyond.
I was called from Nainital to reach New Delhi , their ultimate destination of my father. i reached there with a section of Terai Leaders who would help me to locate my father.
Well! I had to draft the Report and the report was to be submitted to the Prime Minister`s Office! KC Pant ensured an appointment with Mrs Indira Gandhi.
it was my first visit to new Delhi and I became very fond of Chandni Chowk where we stayed in a Dhrmashala opposite fountain. It was very amusing for me that my father showed me all the cremation ghats. it happened even in Kolkata in 1973 where I had to accompany my father visiting Neem tolla and Keora Tolla. I had to visit any place in New delhi for the first time and it was Raj Ghat! We visited Shantivana, Vijay Gahat,Trimurti Bhawan and Gandhi Musium!

Pulin Babu had all the appointments all along the day. i would buy some books available on footpath in chandni chowk, taste the delicosu Jalebi and enjoy some film in any cinem hall around. Father cared enough to make some excurtions involving Red Fort, Ajmeri Gate,Puran Quila, Cannught place, Kutub Minar and the Zoo also. We preferred the Motorcycle innovated scooters plying from Chandni on large scale. it was also an experience in life time that we had to buy drinking water!
I read Tara Shankar for the first time. It was a Hindi translation of kavi, the Poet!
I wonder to remember all those letters and reports drafted by me. it could not be reserved as My father could not encash his relations with topmost political and administrative personalities. We had a thatched home in Basantipur and the land property also reduced with time as it was consumed by father`s commitment and activism! I am away from my home almost thirty years! The people at home could not find any justification to keep all those documents meaningless to them. Pulin Babu had a habit to write diary daily but I could not locate any of his diary when I landed my home after his demise in cancer!
PC Alexander was perhaps the man who recieved the report fro us and frisked away us with some voucher payment as conveyance grant for my father`s All India Tour. We had to leave the PMO right from the closed doors of Mrs Indira Gandhi. This was such an Insult i could not bear.It stamped my psyche and I never tried to write to any politician since the day. It was a pity that I had to write for my father.
But personally no political leader is enough fortunate to recieve any letter signed by me! neither I tried to meet any Politician!
The gist of the story is that the proposal of Anti defection Law by my father, seemed ridiculous and irrelevant to me as in I967, as a student of a primary school and often caned by my teacher Pitamber Pant, I had grown enough to understand the ongoing infinite power game!
This bloody Anti defection Law and the idea of a Whip seem to me just a lame excuse to subvert public Accountability!
Mind you, no political party representing the Brahminical hegemony is against Strategic Realliance with corporate Imperialism. Nor any comrador Politician ever resisted colonisation of India. Ruling class never fought against Imperialism and fascism! The feudal psyche of Cheating and jugglery is the main characteristic of Indian colonised Polity since the so called Mid Night Freedom. The global ruling class is ready for super power hindu Indian Nation thisitime as once upon a time the British gifted away the Power to the Brahmins! All political parties are engaged in annihilation of Indigenous communities. They are united rock solid in the parliament to use all forces of the State power to crush nationalities and communities Indigenous. All anti People laws are passed with consensus. All policies are drawn in the best interest of the Ruling Hegemony which happens to be the best interest of the United Sates of America at the same time!
The Nuke Opera is a clear cut subversion of public Accountability!
The OFF Whip speaker is the OFF whip Marxism personified!
‘Don’t seek IAEA nod to draft safeguards’

Press Trust of India / Mumbai July 18, 2008, 19:26 IST

Nuclear scientists opposed Indo-US civil nuclear deal today asked the government not to proceed to seek IAEA Board’s approval for the current draft safeguards agreement until its implications were fully debated within the country.

There are many key safeguards-related issues of crucial importance which have not been addressed or adequately handled in the current draft, they said in an appeal to members of Parliament four days ahead of the trust vote the government faces in Lok Sabha.
"We are of the strong opinion that the government should not proceed to seek IAEA Board’s approval for the current draft safeguards agreement until its implications are fully debated by a group of experts who are not party to the IAEA negotiations," said the appeal released here today.
"We, therefore, appeal to the members of the Lok Sabha to direct the government not to proceed further with the current safeguards agreement."
"The MPs should ask the Prime Minister to initiate wide-ranging and structured deliberations on the nuclear agreement both within and outside Parliament to develop a broad consensus among political parties and general public before proceeding any further," they said.
The appeal has been signed by P K Iyengar, former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, A Gopalakrishnan, ex- Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and A N Prasad, former Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) here.

Indian Express reported very well! Just read!
New Delhi, July 18: Trust the Left to take the moral high ground and not let facts get in the way.
A year ago, jailed RJD MPs Pappu Yadav and Mohammed Shahabuddin helped the UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil become the first woman President by casting their votes in a crunch situation.
Yadav and Shahabuddin also voted in favour of Hamid Ansari, the Left’s nominee for the Vice Presidential candidate later.
But now the CPM, after its separation from the UPA, is citing “political morality” to slam the ruling alliance’s attempts to bring both these jailbirds and LJP MP Suraj Bhan to take part in the crucial July 22 trust vote.
And not naming those jailbird MPs who are likely to vote on the same side as the Left.
“While legally they may get the right to attend Parliament and vote, there is a question of political morality involved,” said a CPM Politburo statement today. “The Congress leadership will be seen by the entire country as taking recourse to convicted criminals for sustaining their government.”
Yadav was convicted in the CPM MLA Ajit Sarkar murder case and Shahabuddin is jailed in a case of kidnapping with intent to murder. Both had voted in favour of both Patil and Ansari.
While Yadav represents the Madhepura Lok Sabha seat, Shahabuddin is elected from Siwan constituency.
Interestingly, the CPM Politburo’s statement today mentioned the names of only Yadav, Shahabuddin and Bhan, omitting jailbirds who are expected to vote against the UPA.
These include BSP’s Umakant Yadav, Samajwadi Party’s Afzal Ansari and expelled SP MP Atiq Ahmed who are being aggressively courted by the BSP.
So far, Ansari hasn’t switched, claim SP leaders, while Atiq Ahmed has already said he will vote against the UPA government.
Phoolpur MP Ahmed, expelled from the Samajwadi Party after his name figured in BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, had voted in favour of Left nominee Ansari defying a party whip to vote for UNPA candidate Rashid Masood.
When asked why the Left had not opposed Yadav and Shahabuddin voting during the Presidential election, CPM Central Committee member Nilotpal Basu said, “That we will have to see, those circumstances were different and not the same as this.”
CPM leaders claim the party did not include the names of anti-UPA jailbird MPs because they were facing trial and were not convicted.
This argument rings hollow given that Shahabuddin was convicted in May, two months before he voted in the Presidential elections in July last year.
Significantly, the BSP, which has made common cause with the Left to oppose the nuclear deal, is wooing both Ansari, Ahmed, and Umakant Yadav, who was expelled from the party earlier for criminal activities.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/CPMs-high-ground-My-criminal-MP-more-moral-than-yours/337357/
The exclusion of Chatterjee is significant as the CPI(M) has so far been maintaining that he should toe the line of the party, which has decided to vote against the government.
A three-line whip was issued to 41 CPI(M) MPs asking them to reach the national capital on July 20 and be present in Lok Sabha on the next two days besides voting against the government.
CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat while maintaining that it was for the Speaker to take a decision on resigning his post, contended that a person holding this high office does not cease to have political affiliations.
"After someone ceases to be a Speaker, they resume political activities," he said in a newspaper interview giving clear signals that the party expects Chatterjee to step down before the trust vote.
Meanwhile,the Foreign Secy met IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei in Vienna ahead of a briefing for the IAEA board of governors on the India-specific safeguards agreement!Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei in Vienna on Thursday ahead of a briefing for the UN atomic watchdog’s Board of Governors on the India-specific safeguards agreement. Menon had a brief meeting with the IAEA Director General, sources said. However, the details of their talks were not known. The Foreign Secretary is here to brief the 35-member IAEA Board and 19 NSG members, which are not part of the Board, on the safeguards agreement and other aspects of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
On the other hand, with small groups and independents maintaining suspense on which way they will vote, a senior Union Minister on Friday claimed "fence sitters" will side with secular parties and claimed that the government enjoyed support of 276 MPs!
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, which has five MPs in Parliament, will support the UPA Govt in next week’s confidence vote, said the party’s chief whip, Teklal Mahto.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, the Congress party-led ruling coalition and Opposition parties are desperately tying up support, with analysts saying the outcome was too close to call.
Exuding confidence that the UPA government will win the vote of confidence comfortably, Finance Minister P Chidambaram rejected allegations of horse-trading and corporate money power playing a role in the trial of strength.
He also made it clear that the government would not abdicate its responsibility in managing the economy saying it would be in office till the next elections.
"It is all entirely speculative. It is a creation of the media. I don’t think corporates have any role in either saving or defeating the government. I think it is an exaggerated notion of corporate power," he said in an interview.
He was replying to queries on media reports about the influence of the corporates and their money power in the ensuing vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on July 22.
On the chances of government’s survival, he said, "My colleagues in the party, especially party officials, are extremely confident that we will win the confidence vote comfortably."
India objects to US influence on proposals for WTO meet
Geneva (PTI): India on Friday strongly objected to the US proposing to limit flexibilities of the developing countries on their obligations for market opening agreement being negotiated under Doha Round of WTO.
India’s concerns on agriculture and industrial goods were conveyed to Director General of World Trade Organisation Pascal Lamy by Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, ahead of the crucial mini-Ministerial meeting being convened here from July 21.
About 40 trade ministers are participating in the five-day deliberations to reach a consensus on modalities for concluding the much-delayed negotiating round launched in 2001.
"Flexibilities for developing countries have to be adequate and appropriate for addressing the sensitivities of individual members," a statement quoting Nath said.
The negotiating text on opening the market for industrial goods released on May 19 did not satisfy India which said it had caveats on flexibilities at the instance of the US.
Nath is holding a series of bilateral meetings in the run-up to the mini-Ministerial seeking support for interest of the developing countries.
The key players, he is interacting with, include Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Argentina’s Secretary of State of Commerce and International Relations Alfredo Chiaradia.
India Inc. favours early polls
18 Jul 2008, 0627 hrs IST, K V Ramana,TNN
HYDERABAD: The mood of industrialists at Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s national council meeting in the city on Thursday was sombre, the matter of political uncertainty coming up informally at the morning session. And at the end of the session the feeling— at a meeting attended by 75 corporate chieftains— was that there be early polls to end this political uncertainty. “It’s not a question of whether UPA comes out of the trust vote next week successfully or not. As businessmen, we want a stable policy making framework. An early poll could possibly ensure stability though nothing can be guaranteed,” said an industry chief who was part of the deliberations.
Though there were many views, most business barons felt that the nuclear deal would be good for the country. “We did discuss it in our morning sessions. Most of us feel that the country should go ahead with the nuclear deal,” the chief of a family-owned business house told TOI.
“The country should go in for an early poll now, may be in November. Even if the UPA wins the trust vote, an early election for Parliament and six Assemblies would only bring in more stability into the system. There is no point in continuing in a minority without being able to take any major decision,” he said.
“The situation that led to destabilising the government and the current phase of trust vote are all of great concern to the nation. By winning the trust vote, nothing is going to change in the political situation. The only option seems to be a fresh mandate for the government at the earliest,” another national council member concurred.
The Left’s image with the industry seems to be at the nadir. Most business barons felt that the Left should be out of the power matrix in the future. Aligning with them would mean roadblocks on the path to genuine progress, they felt.
“Earlier on we had felt that being part of the ruling coalition would temper them. But this has not happened. Therefore better to keep them out,” a top business baron said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hyderabad/India_Inc_favours_early_polls/articleshow/3247921.cms
JD(S) MPs will oppose trust vote: Veerendrakumar
Kozhikode (PTI): All the three JD(S) MPs, including H.D. Deve Gowda, will oppose the trust vote to be sought by the UPA government in the Lok Sabha on July 22, the party’s Kerala unit President M P Veerendrakumar said on Friday.
"Gowda spoke to me this morning and said the JD(S) has taken a decision to oppose the confidence vote. He also wanted me to join the other two MPs in doing so and speak in Parliament as the party’s Parliamentary leader", Veerendrakumar told reporters here.
Noting that he had already made his stand clear that he would not support the trust vote, Veerendrakumar said even if there was a party whip, he would defy it and vote against the government. He would speak against the nuclear deal in Parliament, he added.
UPA will lose trust vote, claims BJP
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Agencies
Posted online: Friday , July 18, 2008 at 07:49:36
Updated: Friday , July 18, 2008 at 07:49:36 Print Email To Editor Post Comments
Bangalore, July 18: Claiming the Congress-led UPA will lose the July 22 vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha, BJP on Friday said it is fully prepared for general elections.
“UPA government is already in minority. It has been admitted in the intensive care unit. It is in its last breath.
It’s sure to lose its vote of confidence on the 22nd (July)”, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters in Bangalore.
“BJP would like to state categorically that we are prepared to seek a mandate to run the nation,” Rudy said.
Reiterating that the BJP is opposed to the Indo-US nuclear deal in its present form, he said in response to a question: “We (if we come to power
Countdown UPA: 4 days to go, 14 short of majority
CNN-IBN
New Delhi: Small parties have never had it as big. So who stands where in the crucial head count in the lead up to the trust vote on July 22? A check on the figures:
The UPA stands at 258, which is 14 short of the majority mark of 272.
The worry for the Government is not only to gain more MPs from smaller parties and independents but also ensure there are no frights of rebellion in its own ranks.
Left plus BJP plus BSP plus sizeable others make it an impressive 264.. This means that to cross the half-way mark of 271, the Government still needs the support of 14 more MPs.
Where will they come from?
The survival of the Government now depends on the 20 MPs who have not yet decided on their stand.
These include five MPs of Shibu Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, three Independents and three MPs from Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal.
National Conference and JD(S) with two MPs each are also in the undecided category. Giving them company are Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, 1 MP of the Mizo National Front and 1 MP of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.
That’s not all. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee is also non-committal.
In the event of a tie, his vote will decide if Manmohan Singh Government falls or survives.
Published on Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 08:30, Updated at Fri, Jul 18, 2008 in Nation section
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/countdown-upa-4-days-to-go-14-short-of-majority/69081-3.html
Deny government legitimacy for sealing deal: CPI(M)
Special Correspondent
Deal is the conduit to trap India into the U.S. imperialist web, says editorial
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Left will work to prevent India “from becoming a subordinate ally of U.S. imperialism”
BJP has its own reasons in its “restless urge to return to power”
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NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said the Manmohan Singh government, set to take a trust vote in the Lok Sabha on July 22, required the legitimacy to go in for the India-U.S. nuclear deal which will be set on auto-pilot once the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors approved the safeguards agreement with India.
“For precisely this reason, the government needs to be defeated in order to ensure that the India-U.S. nuclear deal does not get this required legitimacy. Those of us opposing this deal on its own content and, more importantly, as it serves as the conduit to trap India into the U.S. imperialist web of global strategic designs, will have to vote in full strength to ensure this,” said an editorial in the coming issue of the party organ People’s Democracy.
“This, naturally, raises the question whether the CPI(M) and the Left would like to be seen on the same side as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the communal forces in voting against the Manmohan Singh government. Particularly since the Left’s outside support to this UPA government, based on a Common Minimum Programme, was aimed at keeping the communal forces away from the reins of State power.” “The moot question here is to protect the country from the consequences of this India-U.S. nuclear deal which imply protecting India’s sovereignty, independent foreign policy and independence in dealing with our security concerns. This requires that this government be defeated in this trust vote. The Left will, thus, discharge its responsibility in our national interest by voting against the government,” the editorial “Stop Deal, Defeat Trust Vote” said. The editorial said the Left was clear in its approach. “It shall work to achieve its objective of upholding our national interests and preventing India from becoming a subordinate ally of U.S. imperialism.”
Main grouse
“The BJP, indeed, has its own reasons for voting against the UPA government, in its restless urge to return to power. The process of strengthening the strategic relationship with U.S. imperialism was, indeed, begun by the BJP-led NDA government. Unfortunately, the UPA government carried this forward. The BJP’s main grouse may well be that such an India-U.S. nuclear deal should have been concluded under the patronage of its government and not by Manmohan Singh.
“This is obvious from the fact that during the entire tenure of the 14th Lok Sabha, the BJP, as the principal Opposition party, did not even move the customary no-confidence motion. If it was so strongly opposed to this deal, then it could very well have moved a no-confidence motion. The fact that it chose not to do so clearly shows that it does not wish to displease the U.S. Bush administration.
“By now it is clear that the Prime Minister had made serious efforts to rope in the support of the BJP for the deal. By describing the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as the ‘Bhishma Pitamah’ of Indian politics, he negotiated and it is widely believed that he had allayed the BJP’s objections to the deal in writing,” the editorial said.
The BJP may be opposing the trust motion so as to force early elections which it may consider to its electoral advantage, the editorial said. It said that in the Left-ruled States of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, the BJP does not have a single elected MLA, leave alone a Lok Sabha MP.
The CPI(M)’s consistent and unequivocal opposition to communalism was there for all to see, it said, adding that the Left required no certificates for its secular credentials. On the contrary, during the last four years in 13 State elections, many of them being ruled by the Congress and its allies, the BJP and its allies had been able to defeat the Congress and form governments.
“The experience of the past four years has shown that the growing popular discontent due to the economic burdens imposed on the people as a result of the policies pursued by the Manmohan Singh government is presenting the communal forces a big electoral advantage,” the editorial said.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/18/stories/2008071861401600.htm
‘It has become like a game of the mafia now’
July 18, 2008
Will the Congress make it past the magic number of 272 in the trust vote on July 22?
This is something that has everyone guessing as the battle for numbers rages full time. Several leaders feel the manner in which the ruling Congress is going about things is similar to the IPL auction which took place last March.
Former Rajya Sabha member and Trinamul Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi believes if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images], who is considered an honest politician, can go to any extent to win the numbers, there is no hope left for democracy.
Trivedi spoke to Special Correspondent Vicky Nanjappa about his party’s stand on the trust vote, the nuclear deal, and about the levels leaders are going to to stay n in power.
Has your party taken any decision on the trust vote?
A decision is yet to be taken. We are meeting on July 20 to finalise our stand. However, let me tell you that our basic principle would be to keep equi-distance from both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.
All you want to know about the trust vote
What are your feelings on the trust vote and the manner in which the Congress is going up to toggle up the numbers?
It is hard to say whether the Congress will make it or not. However, the manner in which the numbers game is being played is shameful. Why is a party with a 123-year-old history stooping to such a level? The Congress should appeal to the conscience of the people and not stoop to unimaginable extent in order to win the trust vote.
There is a lot of talk about horse-trading and even MPs with criminal backgrounds being wooed into voting for the Congress.
If Dr Manmohan Singh, who is perceived to be honest, can go to any extent to save the government then there is very little hope left for democracy. The Congress has put both the British and Moghuls to shame. According to me, the real Congress left with Rajiv Gandhi. What is the Congress trying now? Now they have changed the name of an airport to keep their hopes alive. It is quite unimaginable to think what they would do next. It has become more like a game of the mafia now.
This is the time to bring in the Vohra Committee report on Crimilisation of Politics into play. Each one including Dr Singh is bargaining for himself and not for the country. Worse, all this is being done for three to four months of survival. I would also like to ask as to why Rahul Gandhi, who speaks for the youth, is keeping quiet. The hopes of the youth are being dashed with this kind of politics.
Do you think the Speaker should have acted?
If the Speaker could have suspended eight MPs without a hearing, then why is he keeping quiet now? There are stories of MPs being purchased, and this is an indication of wholesale corruption. Where is the Speaker’s morality now? He spoke about morality when he suspended eight MPs. Why is this situation any different?
Do you think the nuclear deal is good for the country and should the government have gone ahead with it?
The nitty-gritty of the safeguards should be gone into in order to make any sort of a comment regarding the deal being good or not. Without doing so it is difficult to comment. Although there is no Constitutional requirement that the ratification of Parliament is needed in order to go ahead with the deal, I still do believe that the safeguards should not have been kept a secret. What is so secretive about it?
What do you think the Manmohan Singh government should have done?
I feel the government should have discussed it threadbare and gone ahead with the deal with conviction. It looks like a desperate bid to push the deal through during the government’s last few days of survival. The deal should have gone through much earlier if everything was clear, according to the Congress.
How do you react to the manner in which the CPI-M has gone about things?
The hypocrisy of the CPI-M has been exposed. When the Congress wanted a vote in Parliament, they discouraged it. Moreover, (Science and Technology Minister) Kapil Sibal went on record stating that the CPI-M had told them to go ahead with the deal and had no objection. If this is not hypocrisy, then what is?
Do you think the CPI-M was being taken for a ride? A coordination committee had been set up to discuss the issue and without any final decision being taken in the committee, the Congress went ahead with the deal.
Everyone knows what transpired at the coordination committee meetings. The CPI-M was keener on bargaining on Nandigram [Images]. Both the Congress and CPI-M behaved like private limited companies on this issue. During the meetings all they had was samosas and in the bargain each one has been exposed now. No one will trust the CPI-M ever again.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/18inter1.htm
An Uncertain Deal with India

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Jayshree Bajoria
Council on Foreign Relations
Friday, July 18, 2008; 10:58 AM
The U.S.-India agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation, touted as a significant step in strategic ties, has so far proved a difficult ride for both governments. Time is running out for both President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seal the deal before their countries go to the polls. Earlier this month, Singh finally submitted India’s plan for safeguarding (PDF) its civilian nuclear facilities for review (BBC) by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But the IAEA’s approval, required before the deal can move forward, is only the first of many challenges.
The deal also requires the approval of the forty-five member Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Indian parliament, and the U.S. Congress. All member countries of the suppliers group, which includes China, will have to agree to exempt India from rules prohibiting nuclear sales to countries that do not accept full-scope safeguards agreements on all of their nuclear facilities. (India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty). Experts see irony if such an exemption were to occur, as the suppliers group was created in 1974 following India’s first nuclear test to restrict the spread of nuclear technology for weapons programs. Meanwhile, before the Indian parliament can vote on the deal, the Singh government has to win a trust vote (VOA) on July 22 to stay in power. The government’s Communist allies, opposed to the nuclear pact, withdrew support (Hindu) on July 8. Singh’s party says it has secured support from new allies.
President Bush has his own problems persuading Congress to pass the deal before it adjourns for the year on September 26. The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a Washington-based nonpartisan policy organization, has asked the suppliers group and Congress not to make a hasty decision on the nuclear agreement, saying it undermines global nonproliferation efforts. Both U.S. presidential candidates Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) have indicated support for the deal, but it is not clear if they would present it to Congress in its current form.
Some analysts object to the deal because it fails to restrain India’s nuclear weapons program. Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, argues in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that "fueling India’s civilian reactors with foreign fuel is not all that peaceful." The Bush administration has tried to convince Congress that the enabling U.S. legislation for the nuclear deal, the Hyde Act, has mechanisms to check India’s nuclear weapons ambitions. However, the Indian government is indicating the opposite. To win over its parliamentary allies, the prime minister’s office insists the nuclear deal overrides the Hyde Act (Hindu). A July 15 government statement says, "the agreement will in no way impinge on our [India's] strategic programme, which is entirely outside the purview of the IAEA safeguards agreement."
Plus, India is seeking a suppliers group exemption from restrictive conditions on nuclear testing, such as those laid down by the Hyde Act. Unless the suppliers group puts similar conditions on sales to India, some experts say, New Delhi will be free to buy nuclear fuel from others without having to worry about U.S. law. While some experts tout the deal as a boon to U.S. civilian nuclear business, others say its commercial impact may be limited. The deal holds little advantage for the United States beyond symbolism, argues Leonard S. Spector, a nonproliferation expert at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Russian and French firms are better positioned to reap the benefits of opening up nuclear sales to India, he says.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/18/AR2008071801269.html

The final countdown for India
By Sudha Ramachandran
BANGALORE - India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will face a crucial confidence vote early next week that will decide the fate not only of the government but also the India-United States civilian nuclear deal. If the government loses the vote, the country faces early elections and the nuclear deal will probably be scuttled.
The Congress-led UPA government was reduced to a minority on July 8 when the four-party left front withdrew its support to the ruling coalition. While the government’s circulation of the draft safeguards agreement among the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)board members was the immediate provocation for the left’s decision to pull the plug, the larger reason is its opposition to the nuclear deal itself and the undue US influence

on Indian foreign policy that it allegedly engenders.
The UPA coalition came to power in May 2004 with the outside support of the left. Over the past four years, the UPA-left relationship has been strained, with the latter often threatening to walk out. The threatened divorce has finally happened over the nuclear deal.
Proponents of the nuclear deal argue that it will end three decades of India’s nuclear isolation and will provide India with much-needed access to nuclear fuel and technology. It will enable India to engage in nuclear trade.
It has been a long, arduous journey since the agreement was signed in 2005, and several more tortuous steps remain before the agreement can be operationalized. The IAEA board has to clear the India-specific safeguards agreement. The board is scheduled to take up the issue for discussion on August 1. Then the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has to agree to make an exception in its rules that would permit its 45 members to engage in civilian nuclear trade with India - which has a nuclear weapon - even though it is not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. After that, the US president will have to determine that India has fulfilled its part of the deal and send it to the US Congress for its assent.