Press Breifing Wednesday, 17th Feb 2010

Shri Manish Tewari addressed the media today.

Shri Manish Tewari said that the congress party offers its deep condolences to the family of the bereaved jawan who has laid his life while combating the naxalism and said that we salute such security force personnel who have laid down their lives while fighting naxalism.

Shri Tewari further said that while the Government would obviously continue to do what it has to in order to combat the naxal menace. There is duty which is enjoying for a responsibility which is incumbent upon the civil society to see all those individual and forces who romanticizes violence and try to lend credibility and legitimacy to a cult of violence need to be orchestrated. The Left in India cannot run away from its historic responsibility of having transplanted a foreign ideology which was essentially predicated and violent and which over a period of time has found different manifestations, which to some extent they are also at the receiving end today.

To a question as to what the congress party has to say that the Left party was an ally of the Congress led UPA Government earlier, Shri Tewari said that there has been an evolution of the communist movement which is also a historical fact. It is also historically true that on the question of democratic participation the communist movement split in 1964 but it is also equally true that the ideology as it stood in its purest form and has been rejected the world over.

Shri Tewari further said that it is absolutely incorrect and we have addressed that question as nauseum over the past six months.So if there is anybody responsible for what is happening in West Bengal, it is the communists themselves. They have institutionalized a culture of political violence over the past three decades they have been in office in West Bengal. So therefore, the left movement in India cannot run away from the role it has played especially in the context of West Bengal and Kerala in institutionalizing the political violence.

Shri Tewari added that there were two developments in the evolution of the communist movement. Soviet state coming into existence which was rejected decisively by the people and the other example is the case of China where communism has evolved to a state which is essentially a capital and a technology driven state. So there has been a complete negation and a complete rejection of the communist models of development as they were conceived and as the world knew it in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

To another question over the statement of Prakash Karat on Mamata, Shri Tewari said that this is a reflection and a manifestation of inherit insecurity which has gripped the communist parties especially the CPI (Marxist). They know that their rule in West Bengal has run its course. People are waiting for a change. Insofar as Ms Mamta Banerjee is concerned, what her view is on a particular situation, it is best left to her and her party to articulate that. It would be inappropriate for him to be articulating on their behalf.

On the question whether the congress party holds Russia responsible for bringing the communist ideology to India, Shri Tewari said that he does not want to involve himself on a debate on India's foreign policy and its relations with Russia but we have been saying that there is need for the communist parties for introspection.

On another question of Mamata Banerjee's doubt if it was a maoist attack, Shri Tewari said that there is no ambiguity or any doubt after the Home Minister and the Home Ministry has spoken so authoritatively. Insofar as Ms Mamata Banerjee's demand or her assessment of the situation is concerned, she or her party would be in a best position to deal with it.

On the question of the export of sugar by the Commerce Ministry despite price rise, Shri Tewari said that he had talked to Commerce Minister and it is true that the permission was given by an organization of the Agriculture Ministry in view of some contractual obligation and it would be better for either of the officials of the Commerce Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry to answer their question.

To another question of the Supreme Court judgment, Shri Tewari said that it has always been the policy of the congress party that we have respected the verdicts of the Supreme Court and if the Supreme Court has ruled that constitutional court have the authority and the jurisdiction to order enquiry without taking the consent of the State Government, they have laid down the legal position. That is the law of the land.

To a further question on Sajjan Kumar's bail application having been rejected, Shri Tewari said that we should allow the law to take its own course.

Tom Vadakkan

Secretary, AICC