CPI (M) clarifies Jyoti Basu's statement on capitalism

New Delhi, Jan 7 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today clarified the party has not bid "goodbye to socialism" and welcomed capitalism.

In a statement, party general secretary Prakash Karat contradicted the statement of veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu on the nature of capitalist development in West Bengal and said he was not correctly reported by the media.

Mr Karat said Mr Basu had only explained the economic development in West Bengal and the role of the Left Front government "on the basis of the perspective of the situation".

The CPI(M) knows fully well that in the states where the Left is in government they cannot build socialism, but undertake some alternative politics within the capitalist system. Land reforms within the constitutional limits was one such step undertaken in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. Even though the Left Front has been in office for the 30 years in West Bengal, capitalist development has been taking place there as in the rest of the country. What the state governments can do is to help strengthen the struggle for alternative politics advocated by the Left Front and democratic platform at the all India level.

Mr Karat said CPI (M)'s goal is for the setting up of a people's democracy, which is a step towards the eventual goal towards socialism. This, as Jyoti Basu said, cannot be done by the three state governments unless the Left and democratic forces are strong enough to build an alternative at the national level.

The statement said it is amusing to see leaders of the BJP and the Congress portray this approach of the CPI(M) in simplistic terms of socialism versus capitalism. For them socialism only denotes a slogan to be used as a smokescreen for promoting the interests of big capitalists and foreign finance capital.

The record of the Left-led governments in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura stand testimony to the fact that the Left and democratic alternative advocated by the CPI(M) and the struggle to ensure a degree of social justice within the framework of an all India capitalist model of development has found increasing support among the people. That is why the three States are today considered to be the bastions of the Left, the statement added.

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