Survival strategies

Sir — Amar Singh, the veteran Samajwadi Party leader, has justified his party’s U-turn by saying that in politics no party is untouchable (“PM moves, Mulayam adds”, July 2). Both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh are sure to extract their pound of flesh for bailing out the United Progressive Alliance government from the crisis brought on by the threat of withdrawal of Left support over the Indo-US nuclear deal. It is likely that the UPA would have to pay the price in the form of according greater control to the Samajwadi Party over its favourite state, Uttar Pradesh. When its arch rival, Mayavati, who has also fallen from the good books of the Congress, is tamed and Amar Singh’s ego satisfied, the UPA would probably earn its release from the Samajwadi bondage.

The Mulayam Singh-Amar Singh duo have no interest in keeping the Congress on a leash on all policy matters as the Left has done so far. They are cannier and have their agenda clearly chalked out. In UP, too, the Congress could do with an ally to counter a resurgent Mayavati and her Bahujan Samaj Party, which is fast edging towards cordial relations with the Bharatiya Janata Party. If only the Congress had the political wisdom of striking a deal with the Samajwadi Party as soon as Mayavati came to power a year ago, it would never have had to take the trouble of wooing the Left. Already the Congress has stretched the electorate’s patience by failing to control price rise. In the few months left to go before the next general elections, the party should try to complete all pending projects and schemes in order to refurbish its image that lies in tatters now.

Yours faithfully,
Bibhash Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

Sir — Anything with a remote connection to the United States of America is anti-Muslim for Mayavati and anti-national for the Left. The UP chief minister’s political gimmick of declaring the Indo-US nuclear deal detrimental to the interests of the minority community was aimed at making the Samajwadi Party uneasy. The latter is also heavily dependent on minority support, which it would not want to lose over the nuclear deal. However, Amar Singh proved to be shrewder than Behenji when he declared that his party would support the UPA in the House to keep the greater anti-Muslim evil of the BJP at bay. The Left should learn sophistry from Amar Singh. The problem for Manmohan Singh, however, will arise when the Samajwadi Party demands its ‘return gift’. Expect shuffles in the cabinet and major changes to placate a certain fairweather friend.

Yours faithfully,
Govind Das Dujari, Calcutta

Sir — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, after demitting his office as the president of India, had made it clear that the Indo-US nuclear deal is beneficial for the country’s energy needs, since it will help us get the uranium required to keep our nuclear reactors running. As our country already has large reserves of thorium, we should pursue the thorium route to produce uranium till the deficits are met. The Samajwadi Party has done the right thing to get the stamp of approval from none other than Kalam, an eminent nuclear scientist and technocrat, known for keeping the nation’s interest in mind above all else. While the Congress should thank its newfound friend in need, it should also feel indebted to the former president for supporting the deal so unequivocally. The party is perhaps feeling awkward now for not supporting Kalam for a second term as president.

Yours faithfully,
S. Balakrishnan, Jamshedpur

Sir — The Left’s cry of double betrayal, first by the Congress and then by the Samajwadi Party, on the nuclear deal sounds utterly hypocritical. The leftists have been milking the UPA dry for quite a while now, yet they have the audacity to complain. Their frustration comes from the fact that there is nothing left for them to do now. By endlessly threatening the government, they have pushed themselves into a cul-de-sac of their own making. In the eyes of the people, they now look foolish. Public patience is wearing thin with the perverse anti-American bigotry of Prakash Karat and A.B. Bardhan.

Yours faithfully,
S. Pattanayak, Bhubaneswar

Sir — The Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, must be commended for taking an intelligent and independent step in supporting the government on the nuclear deal. He realized that the deal is important for the country, and also that pushing the country towards an untimely election is harmful for its interests. This foresight is lacking in Prakash Karat, who reportedly fought — and lost — only one JNU election in his career. Having no popular mandate behind him and practically no experience in governance, Karat still remains arrogant and inclined to destabilize an elected government. It is good that the Leftists, who have always been eager to enjoy the fruits of power without sharing the responsibility that comes with it, have now been marginalized and Manmohan Singh’s government is free of the baggage.

Yours faithfully,
Kalyan Ghosh, Calcutta

Erratum

The article, “The Day of the Divas” (July 6) stated that after Aranyer Din Ratri (1969), Aparna Sen and Sharmila Tagore are acting together for the first time in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s film, Antaheen. However, they did work together in another film called Jadubangsha (1974). The error is regretted. — The Editor