Left Parties in India have always been ridiculed by main steam media except for occasional mention of Jyoti Basu who had the longest stint as CM of a State. Communist ideology is being seen as having been beaten to pulp as even Chinese are embracing market oriented reforms which is seen to be producing results. The fact remains that of all our politicians Marxist friends are incorruptible save a  Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala. People rejoiced when Manmohan Singh won a vote of confidence by stealth and questionable means as a rebuff to over indulgence to Leftists under UPA-I. People said that UPA-II with no outside support of left parties who were numerically weaker will speed up reforms and we will catch up with China  and the other emerging economies . UPA-II has been a monumental disaster with allegations of large scale scandals and crony capitalism.

The SC ruling in Novartis drug case ended a long term abuse of law  by transnational pharma companies . But few people knew that it was an amendment  by left parties that saved the day for millions of poor from exploitation. Main steam media failed to give credit to them. The recent fight by left parties notably by Gurudas Das Gupta on the issue of pricing of gas has resulted in the Government back tracking on its earlier decision to double the gas price beginning 2014. The blatant give away to a corporate house was acquiesced by the principal opposition party and media.

Left Parties also fight a battle against the diluted Food security bill and call for universal coverage if it is to be meaningful.

For a while I am satisfied that there are people around us who care for the common man even though there is no likelihood of them coming to power. I salute the comrades in arms – Lal Salam – red salute to the real heroes of india.