National

Autumn Of The Fox

A strange alchemy of native cunning and a Jat Sikh's simplicity

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Autumn Of The Fox
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That unique quality to be closeted with a Laloo Yadav or Mulayam Singh or an Arjun Singh is testimony of his uncanny ability to liaise with political parties (except the BJP) with ease. On many occasions, he has managed to successfully bring together disparate groupings with the sole objective of keeping the BJP at bay. "Unlike other communist leaders who are inward-looking and have an ideological arrogance, Surjeet is the exact opposite," says a party worker. In flexibility lies his real strength. Hailing from a village near Jalandhar in Punjab, Surjeet's political baptism took place when, at the age of 15, he planted the tri-colour in a school building. He left the Congress when the communist party was founded in the early '30s and has since been a part of the central leadership. "His Punjab days have helped him immensely. Intermingling with various Akali groups and the Congress and being part of the Kisan Sabha provided him the opportunity to mix with different leaders," said a CPI(M) activist.

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Though having been elected to the Rajya Sabha, Surjeet has never contested an election. That does not seem necessary. As senior member of the party's politbureau, he commands more power and influence vis-a-vis his position in the central committee. "That also explains why Sitaram Yechuri and Prakash Karat, also politbureau members, have never been contestants in general elections," says a Left leader.

A TIRELESS WORKER WITH THE UNCANNY ABILITY TO LIAISE WITH POLITICAL PARTIES WITH EASE—A STRANGE ALCHEMY OF NATIVE CUNNING AND THE SIMPLICITY OF A JAT SIKH. Not an armchair intellectual or ideologue in the E.M.S. Namboodiripad or B.T. Ranad-ive mould, Surjeet is an active party creature and one of the two survivors of the undivided communist party—Jyoti Basu being the other. His critics on the other side of the political spectrum may dub him "money bags", but he's an assiduous worker for the party. "He is one of the chief fund-raisers of the party," says a CPI(M) supporter.

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His spartan existence, his disdain for hierarchy and stout refusal to have hirelings by his side gives him a distinctive position in Indian politics. Who else but he would be lying on a charpoy in the open, after campaigning for two hours for a CPI nominee under a strong September sun in Mansar? And at his age.

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