A gem from CPM: US behind Nandigram

A gem from CPM: US behind Nandigram

NEW DELHI: The CPM has come out with another fanciful ranting for defending the West Bengal government’s handling of Nandigram agitation. Taking its US phobia to new levels, party polit bureau member Brinda Karat has said that a US official held an ‘unprecedented’ meeting with a leader involved in mobilising the minority community in Nandigram.

The conspiracy theorists in the CPM have been working overtime to defend its state governments in West Bengal and Kerala. While political rivals are the target of the party’s wild theories in West Bengal, inconvenient media and not-so-pliable journalists have been made villains by the party in Kerala.

Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan and local party boss Pinarayi Vijayan have, for the past two weeks, been accusing mainstream media in the state of being beneficiaries of largesse from the CIA.

One of the curious characteristics of the CPM’s conspiracy theorists is that they effortlessly change their so-called evidence in response to each aspect which is debunked. As soon as one delusion is unmasked, they simply invent another to replace it, and deny that the first existed.

This assessment is not off the mark as the ‘US angle’ surfaced only when it found that there have been no takers for its claim that Maoists were behind the carnage at Nandigram.

“The categorical position the CPM has taken against the strategic partnership with the US being pushed by the Indian ruling classes and a section of the establishment, is reason enough for these interests to lend their support to the anti-CPM platforms,” Ms Karat said.

Her polit bureau colleague Achuthanandan had last week told the Kerala assembly that Kerala’s media was controlled by a “media syndicate” funded by the CIA.

The state government, meanwhile, has sought permission from the Centre to invite US-basher Hugo Chavez as the chief guest for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the EMS government in Kerala.

Mr Achuthanandan, who met prime minister Manmohan Singh recently, said his government would like the Venezuelan president to be present on the occasion. The invitation for an international leader requires the clearance by the central government.

Despite all its anti-US rhetoric, there have been reports that West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee may visit the US this year.