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Third Front before polls: Surjeet

The third alternative at the national level, comprising Left, democratic and secular parties, will be formed before assembly elections in five states this year, claimed Communist Party of India-Marxists general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

It's formation will not take more time because efforts are on for it to materialise, he told newspersons on Monday afternoon, on the concluding day of the party's three-day central committee meeting.

Surjeet, known for his mission to forge a Third Front, made it clear that the CPI-M, along with other left and secular parties, were trying to fill the vaccum created by the failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government at the Centre and the main opposition Congress among the people.

"It will not take long. I hope it will be formed before the assembly elections in five states in May 2001," he said.

He said, ''Everywhere we go, people are asking about the formation of the third alternative, because they have tested a Third Front government at the Centre.

"We will succeed in our efforts," he said.

He said that the central committee also underlined the necessity for forging a third alternative at the national level, to meet the requirements of the political situation.

The new concept of the Third Front will be given to people because the Congress and BJP-led coalition miserably failed to come up to the expectations of the people, he said. "People were totally disappointed by he BJP-led coalition government at the Centre".

On the difference between the United Front and the proposed Third Front, he said the United Front was formed after the elections and ''now we are going ahead with this concept based on experience''.

Elections to assemblies are scheduled in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam and the union territory of Pondicherry in May 2001.

''The Congress has ruled the country for several decades and it introduced liberalisation and globalisation, which we opposed. Similarly, the BJP-led coalition has now following those policies even more. Now, everything from aeroplanes to industry are on sale under this government,'' he said.

''India is known for unity in diversity. It has Muslims, Christians and other minorities. Under secularism, only these people can be kept united. But the Bharatiya Janata Party is opposed to it,'' he said.

Describing the BJP as a party of feudal castiests, Surjeet said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was considered a moderate, but had proved otherwise. ''During his tour of the United States, he claimed he was a swayamsevak. Similarly, he defended the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya,'' he said.

The biggest threat the country was communalism, he said, adding that they were determined to fight these forces. ''We have the important work before us: defeat the ruling BJP and its alliance,'' he said. However, he maintained that the CPI-M was not going to join hands with the Congress.

''The Third Front will be formed with all secular and democratic forces joining hands. Talks are on with leaders of such parties,'' he said. Refusing to disclose the names of the parties, he, however, admitted that there were talks between him and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"Yadav has agreed to join the front," he said.

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