SRI LANKA-Promises to Keep

had double representation: apart from Jyoti Basu, the party was represented by his politbureau colleague, Silaram Ycchuri. CPI sent its ranking leader, Chaturanan Mishra, a Bihari mass leader himself. Nothing is wrong with this, but these parties should realise that they must not hand over the Bihar lgarib' as a sacrifice to Laloo Yadav's populist demagogy-a distinct possibility rooted in the virtual absence of the militant left in most areas of the state. Unqualified eulogy to Laloo Yadav and his crude histrionics can only create more difficulties for the task of generating critical consciousness among the Bihari poor.