'The present CPM leadership has become arrogant'

Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) is a constituent of the Left Front government in West Bengal. Kshiti Goswami is one of the senior leaders of the party and PWD minister in the West Bengal government. RSP is one of those few front partners that has consistently been criticising the state government and the CPM on various issues such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and its handling of Singur and Nandigram. After CPM cadres forcefully recaptured Nandigram, RSP minister Khsiti Goswami threatened to resign from the ministry in protest. Hardnews caught up with him in an exclusive interview.

Have you made up your mind on resigning from the ministry?

If you ask me for my personal opinion, I would like to stick to my earlier decision. I still believe that it won't be right for me to go back to the government work. But I cannot take this decision alone. There are others whose opinions do matter. I have stated my position with the party, but party leaders are asking me to take more time to think it over.

What will happen if you continue as PWD minister?

That will be really humiliating for me. The CPM won't let me go easily. I won't like to see myself in that position.

The CPM is facing a serious credibility crisis. At this juncture, they might not like to face a situation where one of their important partners leave them and join the opposition.

The present CPM leadership has become so arrogant that it is difficult working with them. Although all of us belong to Left Front, nothing of substance is discussed in Front meetings. Nandigram, Singur and similar issues are never discussed in the state cabinet. We are only occasionally informed by the chief minister what the government has decided. There is no discussion prior to any such decision. The Left Front government has been reduced to a one-party rule in West Bengal.

So what happens to Left unity?

The very attitude of CPM leaders is damaging it. They don't understand the importance of unity. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu did. He was the architect of coalition politics. Now, he is worried about the future of the Left Front in West Bengal. So much that he urged us not to severe our relations. He is unhappy at the turn of events. But he also stressed the point that there is an absence of a credible alternative to the Left Front.

Do you think Basu could take an initiative to mend the broken relations between the CPM and its partners?

How could he? He himself admits that the present leadership does not heed his advice.  I think the present CPM leaders are keener to rule the state by depending on bureaucrats, the police and musclemen. They have an absolute majority in the West Bengal Assembly. The opposition is weak, so they don't bother about taking Front partners into confidence. Now, we — Forward Block, RSP and the CPI, the three minor partners of the Front — have taken a position on Nandigram. We have clearly blamed the CPM. But CPI has other compulsions. They have to keep up their all India pretensions and so they often change their stand.

How do you view the future of the Left Front in the coming days?

Panchayat elections are scheduled for May 2008. The CPM is not bothered about the Congress or the TMC. But it knows that minority supporters are discontent with the present regime for many reasons. Therefore the CPM is trying to woo them back. If in the Panchayat polls the CPM loses four to five zilla parishads, there will be a real crisis in the Front. Unless the CPM changes its direction, the Front will be further weakened.     RR