Senior politburo member MK Pandhe?s statement that those who need Muslim support should oppose the nuclear deal might have resulted in breaking the CPI(M)?s long-standing camaraderie with the SP. But it seems that the Left parties are not ready to drop the idea of opposing the deal with the help of Muslim organisations. The Left?s new-found ally in the battle against the deal is Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, which has a long history of taking anti-US stand in several issues.
Jamaat leaders, including its Ameer Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, is in touch with the Left leaders like Prakash Karat and AB Bardhan in an effort to launch a joint strategy in opposing the deal. ??We are holding discussions with all non-NDA parties, who are opposed to the deal. Our decision is to strengthen the struggles against the US imperialism in India,?? political secretary of Jamaat Mujataba Farooq told FE.
Farooq said on an invitation from the Jamaat Bardhan had visited the Jamaat office here at Okhla recently. ??It was an informal meeting. But our Bardhan had discussed the current political scenario with our central leaders,?? Jamaat?s press secretary SQR Ilyas said. The Central leadership of the Jamaat is meeting here on Saturday to deliberate on the issue, sources said.
The Jamaat leaders also informed that after the CPI(M) upping the ante against the nuclear deal, the Jamaat had held a number of meetings with the CPI(M) leadership on the issue. ??We will continue to meet Karat and his colleagues,?? Farooq added. ??The deal is a result of Congress-US-Israel nexus. The BJP is also not against the deal per se,?? he added.
Politically, an association with the Jamaat will help the Left in both its traditional bases Kerala and West Bengal. Jamaat is an ??opinion maker?? among the Muslims in Kerala with powerful media organizations like the Madhyamam. In west Bengal also, Jamaat has found a considerable ground. It had spearheaded a campaign against the stay of Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen in Kolkata, forcing the West Bengal government to send her to Delhi.
Meanwhile, Karat said he is in touch with all political parties which can take a stand against the deal. JD(S) splinter group leader MP Veerendrakumar and JD(S) general secretary Danish Ali met Karat on the issue on a time the Congress is counting three MPs of the JD(S) in its kitty.