Building blocks of a Left Programme  A survey of the political landscape
Sunday 17 June 2012

The call for left unity issuing from many directions is falling on deaf or dead ears. The Dead Left in government denotes the latter while the JVP, FSP, NSSP, USP and the parties in fealty to the Shanmugadasan tradition, all sectarians, are prime examples of the former. Without minimal left unity, a left programme seemed impossible, but it is now apparent we need to start at the other end – that is put together the rudiments of a programme and allow time for collaboration to germinate through dialogue. This is my hope in offering a series of five letters titled as follows in successive weeks in this column.

a) The broad political landscape
b) An economic policy framework
c) Industrialisation the key
d) Agriculture, services, foreign investment
e) The national question and the State

I am not swollen headed to imagine that my initial thoughts are sufficient to constitute a draft programme for a unified left. There are prodigious gaps, topics I am ignorant of, and the need for wider discussion and amendment. But in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; nobody is making a start – so some fool had better rush in where angels fear to tread. 

I now turn to topic (a).         Full Story>>>