Daunting task ahead before Mukherjee-Left

New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) The daunting task before the new foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee has been further complicated by developments in Bangladesh and question marks on issues before the forthcoming Foreign Secretaries level talks between India and Pakistan, Left parties said today.

''The developments in Bangladesh leading to instability in the democratic system in our neighbourhood is very serious matter of concern for us,'' Left leaders said in separate interviews to UNI.

They said apart from Bangladesh, the new External Affairs Minister has also a tough task ahead of him in the backdrop of the forthcoming Foreign Secretary level talks with Pakistan. Besides, the complicated situation in Sri Lanka and Nepal are the other challenging tasks.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said the January 27 elections to be conducted by a neutral administrator has become a bone of contention between the Awami League and the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

"Though generally sympathy in India has been with Sheikh Hasina Wazed, daughter of Mujibur Rehman, but the UPA government has to tread on very cautious path without giving any impression of interfering in the internal affairs of that country," Mr Bardhan said.

The CPI General Secretary said India would like a stable administration after the general elections in January next year.

The issues like cross border terrorism, sanctuary for extremist elements of North-Eastern India, suspected hideouts of the al Qaeda are issues which India would like to be tackled by the new government in Bangladesh, he added.

Dwelling on the larger perspective on country's foreign policy especially after Mr Mukherjee took over as the External Affairs Minister, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said it was expected that the government would reappraise the foreign and security policies so that a proper direction could be given during the remaining term of the government.

Mr Karat, in a detailed article in the latest issue of his party official mouthpiece ' People's Democracy", observed that" Pranab Mukherjee is the member with the most political experience in the Union Government." "He (Mr Mukherjee) is well acquainted with the earlier role of the Congress, particularly during Ms Indira Gandhi's regime in formulating a foreign policy based on non alignment and safeguarding of India's vital interests," Mr Karat said.

CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi observed that the outgoing dispensation in Bangladesh was a mixture of nationalist and religious fundamentalist elements.

"The Jaimati-Islami having been the partner in Bangladesh government was a serious matter of concern as it is known to be in league with the al Qaeda and such other religious fundamentalist elements," Mr Faizi, the editor of Party Weekly New Age, said.

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