Left often on wrong side of history: PM

April 11, 2009
Needling the communists, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in Kochi: "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. 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, he said, when Rajiv Gandhi started the communication 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.