“The UPA government will immediately enact a National Employment Guarantee Act. This will provide a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of employment to begin with on asset creating public works programmes every year at minimum wages for at least one able-bodied person in every rural urban poor and lower middle class household.” — says the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the Congress-led UPA government duly endorsed by the CPI(M), CPI and their associates. The CPI(M) leaders claimed that inclusion of this agenda in the NCMP has been on account of their insistence and such has been an unprecedented achievement. They even apprehended that the vested interest would try its best to frustrate implementation of this pro-poor agenda. Hence, they called upon the progressive forces to remain alert and fight the opponents to this agenda both inside and outside the Parliament. Incidentally, such a policy announcement has been nothing new. The erstwhile BJP government too had made such policy declaration though the people's demand has been for guaranteeing work for 365 days at appropriate remuneration.

But then it has been a saga of incredible volte-face. When the Prime Minister convened a meeting in Delhi on 29 June last to seek opinion of the states in formulating a scheme for implementing the agenda, Suryakanta Mishra, the CPI(M) Panchayat and Health Minister of West Bengal, stood up and opposed it. "This provision does not match the actual position" - said Mishra (Ganashakti, Bengali mouthpiece of the CPI(M) 30.6.04.) He further went on to add that "It is not possible to develop rural India without land reform. Land reform must be given priority." And then came two more arguments from him.

As per the scheme, 75 % of the financial assistance would be provided by the central government while the state government would bear the remaining 25 % cost. According to Mishra representing CPI(M)-led West Bengal government, the empty coffer of the state government is unable to meet this commitment. Further if guarantee for 100 days work is legalized, that would, Mishra observed, entitle a bonafide claimant to move the court against the government if he is not provided the stipulated employment. Even Budhhadeb Bhattacharya, the CPI(M) Politburo member and West Bengal Chief minister personally met the Union Finance Minister on July 12 and requested him not to enact any law to confer this right of 100 days work on the have-nots and destitutes.

This is how the CPI(M) leaders are fighting for the poor and creating pressure on the UPA government to give effect to the pro-people clauses of the NCMP! They are openly advocating to deny the below poverty line poor the right to work, and that too for just 100 out of 365 days to one member of a family — something hardly adequate even for bare subsistence. It is also not clear as to how the issue of land reforms is linked to this. The CPI(M) leaders owe an explanation to the people in this regard. Had the CPI(M) leaders not scuttled the move, the Congress led UPA government, under public pressure, would have gone ahead with appropriate legislation to enact the provision. There is also another fallacy in the argument of the CPI(M) bigwigs. If the CPI(M) leaders think that this provision can not be effected unless land reforms take place, then what stops them to implement the same in West Bengal where they claim to have achieved a record success in this regard? Perhaps to avoid this too obvious but thoroughly embarrassing question, they have brought to the fore the issue of running short of money to bear the proportionate cost. But while giving plea of depleted state exchequer, the CPI(M) leaders suppressed the fact that there has not been any shortage of fund in providing various subsidies and assistance to the industrialists and corporate houses, nor has there been any dearth of showing amnesty to tax-defaulters costing the government crores of rupees. Instances of pilferage and squandering of public money are also not short in number.

Then what would one conclude? The CPI(M) leaders are masters in double-speak, deceiving the exploited downtrodden, unmoved by recent starvation deaths, to serve the interest of the ruling capitalist class and its agents with a “left” cloak and it is the prosperity of the capitalist class that they pose as national development. Who does then represent the vested interest ?

The people must come forward and organize powerful movement to compel the government enforce the guarantee to work, initially for the proposed 100 days, and, then gradually increase the period to 365 days and that too, for every able person in the family. If the CPI(M) leaders come in the way, they would face public outrage and fury and of course the consequences.