Communist movement hasn't achieved anything spectacular in its long history in India. However, it has earned a bad name due to its anti-national and anti-democracy polices at several occasions especially among the educated middle class. I have been a supporter of left parties for some years now largely due to my closeness to socialist ideology and partially due to my disenchantment from BJP and Congress. I seriously had begun to look at the left as a viable political alternative at the national level. I am not sure anymore. There are a couple of reasons:

Nuclear Deal: Without going into the technicalities, let us first try to look what this deal is all about. India neither being among the five recognized nuclear powers nor a signatory to the NPT is isolated in the world with regard to the corporation in the nuclear energy sector. India needs nuclear energy for its rising domestic power demand and more importantly the high table at world level. America wants to counter rising Chinese threat and sees India as a strategic partener. So, the deal is simple. USA would agree to supply India the nuclear technology and material for civilian use and India in tern would separate its civilian nuclear program (for peaceful use) from the military use program. This would be done in a phased manner and an international agency IAEA would keep a check on the civilian nuclear facilities only. There would be no interference in the military research program. Moreover, US would lobby hard to get NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) to cooperate with India on nuclear energy. This can be done as India has an impeccable record in nuclear nonproliferation and in following international treaties. During the long and tough negotiations, India got almost everything it wanted. Pakistan demanded a similar deal but was bluntly refused. China and Pakistan both lobbied hard to see this deal dead. Unlike the past, India clinched the deal successfully. This deal, I think, has been one of the most important achievements of Indian foreign policy till date.

Now what is the issue? First, there is a perception that Indian foreign policy is losing its independence and we are aligning too much with the US. Second, American Hyde Act, that says that deal might be scrapped if India conducts another nuclear test. Ideally speaking first concern is a big issue, but foreign policies are never decided on ideals. India made that mistake (thanks to Nehru and leaders that followed him except may be Indira) and that’s the reason we have more enemies than friends. You like it or not, aligning with US is a wise thing to do as long as we keep our national interests above everything and don’t let Americans use us. The second issue is simply unavoidable. You can not keep a check on the domestic laws of a sovereign country and if India conducts a nuclear test, of course, USA or any other country should have a right to decide if they want to continue the nuclear corporation or not.

After everything has been finalized, Left parties wakeup and start raising these issues. Raising issues is a good thing in a democracy but they have halted the deal which is against Indian interests. Let us try to put things in perspective and try to think whose interests are they serving?

Who would benefit if this deal doesn’t go through? Pakistan and yes CHINA. The ghosts of Indo-China war are again visiting! Most of the left leaders (including Jyoti Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet) supported China wholeheartedly during India's war with China over boundary dispute in 1962. They even shamelessly declared that Chinese President is India's president. These people celebrated when China tested a nuclear bomb touting it as "People’s Bomb" and opposed fervently when India exploded nuclear devices in 1974 and again in 1998. China seems to have achieved through their agents here what they could not achieve directly. These are serious issues. So, comrades, tell the people of India, why you favor Chinese interests over Indian? Who are your paymasters and why you should not be banned for anti-national activities?

Nandigram: Its simply unbelievable that a communist government is taking away two-crop arable land from farmers forcibly to establish SEZ for a private capitalist. Left front oppose the same neo-liberal polices at the center. But because Chinese "Communist" government is doing it, they would also emulate it.

Moreover, when local people opposed this move and tried to protest, the government used force and 14 farmer lost their lives in police action. Now, CPIM gondas (they call them "carders"), are trying to "take over" Nandigram and police and administration is simply looking the other way(dejavu of Gujrat). These gondas are killing poors, indulging in large scale rapes to punish poors for raising their voice to save their lands. Media is not being allowed inside nandigram and its simply Stalin-style handling of dissident voices.

That's what they have been doing in West Bengal. It is "Our way or highway". If you dont agree with us you cant live in here. Most of it is due to the lack of credible political alternative (dont suggest Mamta "Drama Queen" Benerjee). And on top of that they are not ready to debate it in the paliaments, saying it is a state subject. These are the very people who debated violence after Ghodhra in Gujrat. So why cant we debate Nandigram? They are not even ready to debate the issue on TV. WB Transport minister backed out of the debate on NDTV at the last moment. Central government is seeing the whole thing helplessly and our Dehli-Mumbai "Sting Operation" media is happy by just debating the issue in air condition newsrooms. But anywys, this is not at all democracy. This is the fascist attitude that has been common among all communist governments be it in china or Russia. The situation has taken a communal flavour as most of the people affected are Muslims and Dalits. Its unfortunate what happened in Kolkata on Wednesday. But more than that, CPIM government, instead of resolving Nandigram issue has escorted Taslima Nasreen away from WB.

Poor people are killing poor people. We can debate these issues latter but please bring peace in Nandigram and now in Kolkata first.