The CPI(M) central committee member and deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, Biplab Dasgupta, is to attend the World Trade Organisation (WTO) conference to be held in Seattle . Dasgupta , who is going to the conference as part of the Indian contingent, is replacing Mr Somnath Chatterjee who has backed out owing to ill health. Dasgupta is an expert on the activities of the WTO activities and has also written a book on the subject.

Incidentally, one of the main subjects to be discussed will be the post-GATT scenario and while the US has wanted labour issues to be included in the agenda for discussions, India has objected to it.It was thus important for the Indian delegation to have included representatives from the labour organisations to put forward its position and articulate this demand more effectively.