Politics The pen-pushers of the Indian ruling classes are busy drumming up an illusory consensus on the process of economic liberalisation. Two Bourgeois Combinations & Alternative Whenever the Congress is seen supporting the proposals of the BJP, it takes the plea that this is a commitment it had made in its manifesto. Labour Relations Technological changes are not something new that are happening only now.

While we have time and again reiterated that the BJP and the Congress represent the same class interests, i.e., of the bourgeoisie-landlord class, we have been differentiating between the Congress and the BJP on one issue, an issue important for Indian unity, viz, secularism. The Congress, we have repeatedly stated, continues to maintain its secular base. From the days of the freedom movement it has demarcated itself from the communal forces and espoused secularism which enabled it to rally the minorities and other downtrodden sections behind it. Though it had been raising many slogans voicing their demands, most of them remained unfulfilled. But the people, who were fed with promises alone for years together, got disillusioned from the Congress.
Now , whenever the Congress is seen supporting the proposals of the BJP, it takes the plea that this is a commitment it had made in its manifesto. The Congress should ponder how many such promises and commitments to the people, the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities, etc., made during the course of the freedom struggle and after, have been pursued during its monopoly reign at the centre for over four and a half decades.
Apart from the general promises, under the impact of the Telengana struggle and various other such struggles, it promised changes in the agrarian sector and raised the question of land reforms. Though a number of legislations were enacted in various states, these remained unimplemented. It is because of these factors that the minorities, the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backwards who had formed the main base of the Congress party, deserted it, costing the Congress heavily.
In the recent elections the numerical strength of the Congress in the Lok Sabha saw a further reduction -- 113 in a house of 545. Once the Congress lost power, the bourgeois-landlord class rallied behind the BJP, a communal party, whose interests are divergent from the interests of the country's unity and the necessity to strengthen the federal structure. The BJP has emerged as the biggest party in parliament and has succeeded in allying with various regional parties, many of whom are basically secular. The uniting factor has been the anti-Congress feeling due to years of Congress misrule. Thus, broadly, two bourgeois-landlord combinations have come into existence.
The Left, democratic and other secular parties, though an emerging force, have yet not acquired that strength to be able to provide an alternative on their own at present. Given the class nature of the other two combinations, we are striving to develop the third alternative, which should take care of the interests of the common man. While opposing the theory of equidistance, there is no illusion whatsoever about the class nature of the Congress party.

COALESCING OF INTERESTS
If further evidence was needed the winter session of parliament has once made this clear.
On all major economic issues the Congress and BJP are seen to stand together. In fact the only difference between the approaches of these two parties is on the pace of the liberalisation and privatisation drive. Whereas the BJP has accelerated the pace, the speed at which the Congress government in the past went about it was less. Their unity was most blatantly visible when the Insurance Regulatory and Development Bill came up. The insurance employees had demonstrated before parliament and had gone on strike the day it was placed for adoption. Despite the widespread opposition to the bill from the Left parties, other democratic parties and the trade unions in particular, the Congress unashamedly joined hands with the BJP to pass the bill. The opposition leader, Sonia Gandhi, took pride in the fact that it was the Congress party, which had initiated these policies in 1991. Earlier, at the commencement of the session she had stated that her party would take a positive attitude towards this government. It is in tune with this assurance that the insurance bill was passed thanks to the open support lent by the Congress party.

PRO-US FOREIGN POLICY
In the realm of foreign policy, after the Korean war and more particularly after the Bandung conference, except for some gaps, India's foreign policy has been by and large independent, playing an important role in the non-aligned movement, expressing solidarity with the people struggling for peace and against war and imperialism. The BJP has reversed this longstanding policy and is pursuing a policy that placates US imperialism, supporting its stand on crucial issues. The US has always had an eye on India. Now it has been provided an opportunity of fulfilling its desire. The BJP government is hoping that the US will take sides with India with regard to Indo-Pak relations. This is nothing but an illusion. The US wants India on its side merely to pursue its own agenda of global hegemony. It will not give up Pakistan, its ally for long. Moreover Pakistan is a leader of the Organisation of Islamic Countries. The US also wants to manoeuvre to make Kashmir an independent entity so that it will be able to exert its influence in the area. It should also be noted that after the recent military takeover in Pakistan, the US did not snap relations with the country, but merely stated that democratic process should be restored as soon as possible. This policy being pursued by the BJP-led government spells disaster for the country.

SURRENDERING TO US PRESSURE
Another important issue is with regard to the approach of India to signing the CTBT. Until recently, India had been a staunch opponent of such discriminatory treaties. But after the nuclear tests at Pokhran, there was tremendous pressure on the BJP government to sign the CTBT. The Jaswant Singh-Strobe Talbott talks, clouded in utmost secrecy, were aimed at getting round India to signing the CTBT.
The major reasons for refusing to sign the CTBT earlier are still valid today. The core objection was that the CTBT failed to meet the test of both India's disarmament objective and its security concerns. We had pointed out that the United States and other nuclear powers were bent on perpetuating the discriminatory global nuclear order. Moreover, the US and other nuclear powers were refusing to commit themselves to any time-bound schedule for disarmament. Moreover, it will be applying constraints on our options, whereas the nuclear haves have already exercised their option.
Having committed itself to signing the CTBT, the Vajpayee government is now manoeuvring to build a "consensus" on its approach, in fact, trying to push its own opinion. Even on this question, the BJP-led government is banking on the support of the Congress. The Congress had earlier unambiguously opposed the CTBT, now after discussions with the Prime Minister, it has made a slight variation in its stand. Giving up its total opposition, it has said that the issue needs some more discussion.
Though the big business has thrown its weight behind the BJP, it still exercises influence over the Congress party. Given the fact that big business is pushing for strengthening relations with the United States, there is the possibility of their influencing a final decision by the Congress party.
There are also indications that the Congress party will adopt a supportive approach to the next annual budget that the BJP government will place. After raising a hue and cry over some policy measures, ultimately, in all likelihood, it will go along with the government and support its measures.
These trends, expose the fact that as far as economic policies are concerned, the Congress and the BJP are on the same side, representing as they do, the same class interests. It also shows that despite the pronouncements made for regaining the lost confidence of the masses that formed the support base of the Congress - the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward communities and the minorities -- the Congress will not make a break from its past discredited record and policies required for making a comeback. Furthermore, the minorities who had drifted away from the party due to its connivance with the BJP at the time of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, have not reposed their faith in the Congress. To do this will requires a radical change in the outlook of the party, and an end to the policy of treating the minorities as mere vote banks.
Since 1996 the CPI(M) has maintained no party can come to power, least of all the Congress on its own and that a period of coalitions has come. Even for the Congress to think in terms of coming back to power heading a coalition, without a change in policy outlook, ofcourse, within its own class framework and perspective is also illusory. Without such a policy reorientation, it will not be possible for the Congress party to maintain its base and survive. A mere change of leader, they had thought earlier, would be able to galvanise the masses. Instead what is required is a radical change in policies.
With a rabid communal party like the BJP heading the government and pursuing its own agenda on the one hand, and the Congress party in no mood to take on the BJP, it is only the emergence of a third alternative that can provide hope to the people. Developments in Uttar Pradesh indicate that the BJP is losing influence in the Hindi heartland. The task in Bihar is not so easy as it is made out to be. For the BJP, UP and Bihar are very important. If the BJP loses in these states, disillusionment will set in within the party.

CHOICE BEFORE BJP ALLIES
The task before the democratic forces is to fight this menace while impressing upon its allies that their alliance with the BJP does not fit in with the aspirations of the people. They will also be forced to demarcate not only on communally sensitive issues, but on economic issues also, as the situation worsens and the government implements policy measures resented by the people.
The CPI(M) and the Left forces will have to be in the forefront in developing resistance against these policies, developing united actions with other democratic and secular parties. Out of these actions will emerge the only alternative that can provide relief to the masses.