Press
Briefing Wednesday, 17th February 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
