TODAY our country is moving towards a dangerous situation where both its unity and its federal base are being threatened. India is a vast country with people with different faiths living here in large numbers. The framers of the constitution had envisaged that our unity could be maintained on the basis of the principles of secularism. Similarly, in our country people speak different languages and have different cultures. In order to protect their identity it is necessary that the federal structure of the constitution be strengthened so that all linguistic groups are able to enjoy freedom and develop their language, culture and other aspects of social life. It is from that angle that the constitution adopted democracy, secularism and socialism as its main principles.

We have no illusion that the bourgeois-landlord government will ever be able to establish socialism. The latter slogan is meant merely to assuage the feelings of the common man. During the struggle for independence, the Congress leadership promised to form linguistic states after it came to power. The Congress too had formed its provincial committees on linguistic basis. But after coming to power they forgot these promises. It was only after struggles for the formation of linguistic states like Aikya Kerala, Vishal Andhra, Samyukta Maharashtra, Maha Gujarat, etc, that such states came into being. The communists were in the forefront of these struggles. Unfortunately, serious efforts were not made to popularise the idea and the necessity of providing more autonomy to the states so that, alongwith strengthening Indian unity, they could develop their language, culture, heritage, etc. While erosion of the secular outlook saw the rise of communal forces, reneging on the promises of autonomy was to lead to dissatisfaction.

For most part of independent India, the country was ruled by the Congress party. Its monopoly was broken in the 1977 elections when, riding the crust of the anti-emergency wave, the newly formed Janata Party came to power. After a two and a half years break, the Congress once again came back to power. But it lost power once again in the 1989 elections. The National Front government, with V P Singh as prime minister and with both the Left and the BJP extending support from outside, came to power. With the BJP withdrawing support, this government also fell after a year.

The 1996 elections, however, saw the emergence of the right-wing BJP as the single largest party. Though it was short of a majority, the president gave it an opportunity to form the government. But that government lasted for only 13 days. The Left took a major initiative and rallied all the secular forces to thwart the BJP's designs and avert the communal danger. The United Front government thus formed, unfortunately, did not last for more than two years. The UF, which went to the 1998 elections unitedly, failed to gain the confidence of the people owing to its incoherence. This non-coherence apart, the very fact that the UF had to depend on the outside support of the Congress made its position delicate. Therefore, apart from the issue of foreign policy and non-use of oppressive measures against the people, on most of the other issues like economic policy, etc, the UF did not make a serious break from the past. The lack of coherence, particularly on policy issues, turned it into a merely working arrangement to ward of the danger of the BJP. The failure to effect a break from the past in the realm of economy led to disenchantment among the people. This was to lead to major constituent parties of the UF reducing their share of seats in the very next election.

In the 1998 elections, the BJP again emerged as the biggest party. The results also proved that the Congress did not draw any lesson from the mistakes that it committed when in office, and provided the ground for communal parties like the BJP to advance.

In a reversal of roles, many parties, which were key constituents of the United Front, deserted it and joined hands with the BJP to form the NDA government. They had no hesitation whatsoever in doing a somersault and allying with a party which till recently they had vowed to fight against. Some regional parties who had strong reservations on the question of autonomy and more powers to the states as opposed to the views of the BJP, and were part of the United Front, also deserted the Front to join hands with the BJP. In October 1999 mid-term elections, the Congress was reduced to its lowest ever tally of 113.

Under the BJP, there has been a sharp reversal of policies in various spheres. The communal agenda is being implemented with break-neck speed. Progressive and secular individuals are being removed from institutions of higher learning and governing bodies, and are being replaced by BJP nominees.

In the matter of foreign policy, a complete reversal of India's policy of non-alignment, with an anti-imperialist thrust, solidarity with national liberation movements and for elimination of nuclear weapons and world peace, has been made. Having given up the independent and self-reliant economic development, adopting a pro-US tilt in foreign relations was natural. India, a founder member of the NAM and a front ranking leader of the third world countries, has lost the trust of the developing countries. Its voice is no more heard in world forums.

There is no talk of extending more powers to the states; even the existing powers are sought to be curtailed. Leaving aside the JD(U), even parties like the DMK and TDP, which were ardent advocates of more powers to the states, have changed tack. In fact, on the question of imposition of article 356, as opposed to its earlier stiff opposition, the DMK reversed its stand to suit the BJP's convenience when it invoked the provision to remove the RJD government in Bihar. Even in case of the AIADMK government, the DMK leadership is clamouring for the centre's intervention. Even the TDP leadership is silent on the infringement on the rights of the states by the central government in various matters.

The NDA is a conglomeration of parties that have come together with the sole purpose of being in power. Parties like the PMK and Trinamul came in and went out of the NDA as per their convenience and needs. The PMK left the NDA to join the AIADMK front in Tamil Nadu in the recent assembly elections. When the purpose was served and the PMK was denied a Rajya Sabha seat, it left the front and once again sought entry into the NDA, which was readily granted.

The Trinamul, likewise, broke ties with the NDA on the eve of the West Bengal assembly polls, to team up with the Congress in an anti-Marxist alliance. The Trinamul has been an anti-Marxist platform, which has no hesitation in allying with the communal forces to achieve its objective of defeating the communists. When it presumed that allying with the Congress would be a better option, it deserted the NDA. Strangely, the Trinamul continued to sit in the treasury benches in parliament, and is now waiting a formal NDA decision for its re-entry. The Trinamul's shifting loyalties has exposed all the three parties involved --- the BJP, the Trinamul and the Congress --- for what they are.

The Tehelka exposure had shred the high moral pedestal on which the BJP had placed itself. The BJP president was caught accepting a wad of currency notes. In the latest UTI scandal, involving the money of 20 million small investors, neither the finance minister nor the prime minister's office (PMO) is above board. An MP of the Shiv Sena, a key ally of the BJP, has made allegations in this regard on the floor of parliament.

All these happenings make it clear that the bourgeois-landlord parties cannot be trusted to guard secularism, fight the communal poison and champion the cause of federalism.

Fed up with these opportunist games, the Indian people are looking for an alternative. The repeated success of the Left Front in West Bengal assembly polls has drawn the people’s attention all over the country. They see in the success of the Left Front for a record sixth term the people's support on account of its pro-poor policies and for its endeavour to place an alternative within the constraints of the Indian constitution. The Left has set an example in alternative governance, which has to be emulated in other states and at the all-India level.

The formation of the Lok Morcha (People's Front) is a step in this direction to provide an alternative opposed to the BJP and the Congress. The People's Front has adopted a programme, elucidating its policies, on which it plans to mobilise the people. This requires a consistent struggle on all fronts --- economic, political, ideological --- alongwith exposure of the bourgeois-landlord parties who, instead of serving the common people’s interests, are today getting thoroughly exposed because of scandals. The days ahead will therefore definitely witness a strengthening of the People's Front.