Time for Left to introspect

There was a time in Indian politics when the Left parties were considered a strong political force all over the nation. The decline of the Left started gradually after 1990s. The Left leaders never paid any attention why their support base was declining and they were disconnecting with the people at the grass root level. As long as they identified themselves with the poor villagers and urban dwellers, they were reckoning in politics of the nation. The Left were very strong in West Bengal and Kerala and these two states were their strong bastions. Now, they are ruling only in Tripura. West Bengal was the strongest bastion of CPM and they were in power there for more than 30 years. But Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee threw Left out of power in 2011. It has not only been thrown out of power in West Bengal and Kerala by Trinamol Congress and Congress Party respectively but also made politically irrelevant in Bihar. Bihar was also the strongest bastion of Communist Party of India (CPI) in 70s. CPI leaders were very popular in the state. But with the demise of old stalwarts like Chaturanan Mishra and Bhogedra Jha, there is hardly any leader left in the party from the state who could be known at national level. The disconnection with the people at the grassroots level has been the main cause of the decline of the left. With the fast changing time and economic scenario, the political stage has changed. The Left failed to be compatible to the changing political and economic scenario of the nation. The Left leaders should have thought that now there were no takers for their principles of Marx and Angels. The Stalinist attitude is no longer acceptable. Old and out-dated approach in managing the economic affairs of the state will throw the nation into isolation. Left leaders are no longer prepared to accept the changing economic trends of the world. And this is the main cause that their support base is shrinking very fast day by day. What worse can be expected of the Left when no political party in the state of Bihar shows any interest in aligning with them. The Left leaders must read the writing on the wall that if they failed to recognize the changing economic scenario of the world and continued to preach the people about the principles of Marx and Angels and their views on economy, they are bound to be reduced to negligible importance in the politics of the nation. Undoubtedly, the Left leaders are considered honest and sincere to the cause of the poor and downtrodden. But because their leadership has become disconnected with the people, they fail to reach to them. If there is one political party, which raises voice against price rise, corruption and the cause of people first, it is certainly the Left. Until and unless, the left leaders reconnect with the people at village level and convince them by their action that they are their saviours, they cannot retrieve its position in Indian politics.