On Nandigram- II

While I hold Prabhat Patnaik in great esteem for his penetrating analysis of economic issues (he had been to my knowledge the only prominent economist to have seen through the south-east Asian “Miracle” well ahead of the notorious “meltdown”) and unswerving commitment to socialism, I am not a little bewildered by his attempt to deflect the attack from the CPI(M). It will not do to say that the criticism of the CPI(M) on the painful Nandigram incident has come from sworn enemies of CPI(M) alone, or that the only purpose behind the attacks is to discredit the West Bengal government.

There is no dispute about the fact that the neoliberal policy of export-oriented industrialisation is to blame for the incident.The point at issue is the West Bengal government CPI(M)’s acceptance of that policy. As in the case of China, the surrender to the masters of international capital by a left government is bound to result in consequences terrible for the peasantry. There is a political decision involved here. Yes, the CPI(M)-led government in West Bengal has been pushed into accepting this policy. There was an urgent necessity of ensuring industrial revival and procuring finance for such a revival, and Jyoti Basu himself had returned empty-handed from tours abroad because of the demands made by masters of international finance capital. Conceding those demands eventually, no doubt under the influence of Chinese example, had paved the way to Nandigram.