PRAGOTI

"The CEC seems driven by good intentions. But the way to hell is often paved with good intentions", Prakash Karat says in an article pointing out to differential treatment on political campaigning by the Chief election commissioner, N.Gopalaswami.

Saibal Bishnu and Chirashree Das Gupta write a critical piece on the lessons to be learnt from the setbacks for the Left Front in the recently concluded Panchayat Elections.

The recent fuel price hike by the government has drawn flak from the left parties, who have asked for a powerful stir against the decision, with a call for a general strike on this issue that hits the masses.

Prashant Jha, Freelance reporter based in Kathmandu, interviews Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in New Delhi. To a question, Karat says: " We know we cannot change policy; we can only slow the pace of implementation. Many here accuse us of creating ‘roadblocks’. Yes, we have put on breaks, and happily so. If not for us, there would have been more liberalisation of the financial sector, opening up of retail; foreign investment would have come into agriculture, and pension funds would have been privatised. We have been able check harmful policies when the government needed legislative backing. Where they could move ahead with only cabinet approval, they have taken decisions." Courtesy, Himal magazine.