Sitaram Yechury’s elevation as CPI(M) general secretary is indeed an >'elevation to lift the Left' (April 22) . In him, the party has found a charismatic and pragmatic leader to lead it in these troubled times. In order to tackle right-wing forces, all liberal secular democratic parties must work together and Mr. Yechury’s elevation augurs well in this regard.
However, the difficult task before the new general secretary is in becoming acceptable to the youth in this era of globalisation and liberalisation and in presenting them an alternative strategy that caters to the needs of the working class and the middle classes. Failing to gauge the aspirations of the rising middle class will prove to be an obstacle.
Kiran Jose,
Kadanad, Kerala
The article has analysed well the ups and downs of the Left. The absence of a mass leader like Jyoti Basu apart from blind opposition to FDI and economic reforms have been its stumbling blocks to winning over the younger generation. The Communist parties have often been viewed as obstacles to investment and industrialisation, increasingly becoming the prime factor in judging the success of any government. Even though the CPI(M)’s social policy of secularism is unquestionable as it is the only party never to make compromises with its secularist stand, it must realise that economic policies are becoming equally important.
N. Sadhasiva Reddy,
Bengaluru
The writer rightly gives credit for the struggles led by the Left against caste oppression in Tamil Nadu. However, it was disappointing that the big gains made by the informal sector workers of Kerala, led by the Left, and the Sengupta Committee report of 2007 on the unorganised sector being inspired by these struggles, did not find mention. He did not analyse the experiences of Left-ruled States as well.
K. Vijayachandran,
Kochi
