Left often on wrong side of history: PM

KOCHI: Needling the Communists in their bastion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Left parties have often been on the "wrong

side" of history by refusing to participate in the Quit India movement, Green and IT revolutions and to back the nuclear deal with the US.

In a veiled attack on the coming together of parties in the Third Front led by the Left, he asked the people to choose between the stability of the Congress and the coalition of parties which have come together only by the "glue of government" in which there is a continuous struggle for power.

"The Left that rules the state has unfortunately often been on the wrong side of history. When Mahatma Gandhi started Quit India movement the Left did not participate in it. When India became Independent, they said this independence is not for real," he said addressing an election meeting here, the first after his recovery from the heart bypass surgery.

Singh said in 1960s when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ushered in Green Revolution, the Left opposed it saying it was only for the benefit of foreign seed companies. Similarly, when Rajiv Gandhi started communications revolution they opposed it saying it will take away jobs.

"When our government started nuclear deal with the US to end India's nuclear isolation and to provide the much-needed energy for development, the Left opposed and walked out of our government. Time will prove the wisdom of our decision," the prime minister said.

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