After scoring a “moral victory” against the UPA government on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Left Parties are now working overtime to focus on people’s issues like price rise, which could be used as poll planks.

The Left parties are keen to maintain the pressure, which they  had mounted on the Manmohan Singh government on the nuclear deal. They apparently want to project their image as an opposition,  instead of  being seen as supporting parties.   

Political observers feel that with the speculations about mid-term polls gaining ground, the Left parties would continue their present stand and intensify their agitation on issues which appeal to the masses.
The major Left parties have already held demonstrations  across the country on price rise.
Both the CPM and CPI had raised voices against wheat import scam, FDI in retail and welfare of the unorganised sector workers.

In fact, the Left-affiliated trade unions are quite embarrassed on the “half-hearted” initiative of the UPA government regarding 93 per cent of the country’s workforce. The comprehensive bill on the social security of the unorganised sector workers had been drafted apparently after taking their views into consideration.
The bill was introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament and sent to the Standing Committee for consideration.

The Left parties had also taken up the issue of delay in implementing the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act. CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat had written to the prime minister on the matter.

‘Ignore vested interests’
CPI National Secretary D Raja cautioned Dr Manmohan Singh against “succumbing to pressures by vested interests.”

He added that the continued failure of the government to implement the act would be considered as “betrayal of the people.”

  In a letter to Dr Manmohan Singh on Wednesday, Mr Raja said, “It is extraordinary-a government that has gone easy on  all environmental and social regulations for private companies, suddenly discovers environmental values, with regard to rights of the poor. The government must issue a notification in this regard immediately,”