The Left parties, primarily the CPI (there was no CPI-M then which was formed many years later as a breakaway group from the CPI) had a dubious & dishonourable role to play during India's struggle to attain Independence. At least two of their prominent leaders viz., Jyoti Basu & Prakash Karat voluntarily went to the U.K. to pursue their higher education. The assets & landed properties of some of their leaders, for example Basu, puts him right up with the capitalists. When they first came to power in W. Bengal they systematically debilitated & uprooted scores of businesses & industries who were operating from that state. This caused an immense flight of capital & jobs from which the state could never quite recover. Basu, during his tenure as Chief Minister, W.B. used to go to the U.S. / U.K. every year during summer ostensibly for his vacation & to attract foreign investments. Many stories abound about what the real objectives of his trips used to be. It is a shame that such people & parties who rightfully should be rounded up under TADA, put behind bars with the key to the cell being thrown away should be voted to power in at least 2 states with one of them having been ruled by them, uninterrupted, for over 30 years. The Congress should be ashamed that they are willing to be bedfellows with people & parties who have consistently & blatantly acted against the national interest. The Congress party should feel ashamed that in their quest to cling on to power they have the LEFT a
