Bardhan: Speaking his mind

New Delhi, Aug. 19: CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, the lone representative of the Left Front at the United Progressive Alliance meeting last evening, spoke his mind to the Congress on two issues: the volatile situation in Manipur and the bill on property rights of women in Jammu and Kashmir.

Doing what the CPM usually does, he set the tenor of discussion at the meeting as there was no official agenda.

Bardhan chose to attend last night’s meeting ignoring CPM general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet’s requests to stay away, mainly because he wanted to give the government a piece of his mind on Manipur.

“After all, the CPM does not have anything at stake in Manipur. We have,” said Bardhan. The CPI has five legislators in the Assembly, some of whom are now camping in Delhi.

Bardhan had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after violence erupted in Manipur and advised him to remove the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Imphal.

That was nearly a month ago. Yesterday, the CPI leader gave the UPA government a mouthful for “mishandling” the situation in the sensitive state and allowing the conflict to spiral out of control.

“The home minister should have at least visited the state,” he said. Home minister Shivraj Patil was present at the meeting.

Congress minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said after the meeting that the government is ready to talk to any outfit, if it is willing.

Bardhan said the gesture is not enough. Delhi has not acted with the speed and care the situation in Manipur deserved, he added.

As he spoke, the others listened quietly. According to sources, Congress president Sonia Gandhi seemed in agreement on Manipur, but disagreed with his view that the amended bill banning married women from enjoying property rights should be allowed to stay in Jammu and Kashmir.

The ruling People’s Democratic Party, which had initially introduced the bill, was forced to amend it after the Congress, a partner in the state government, spoke out against it.

Sonia wants it scrapped as she considers the bill anti-women though Mehbooba Mufti defended it and Bardhan backed her. “We were opposing the law when it was first introduced. But now it has been amended and should be allowed to stay,” said Bardhan. But Sonia was firm.