"What was the cpm doing in Seattle, comrade?"
"Participating in the Indian delegation negotiating the wto agreement, comrade."
"There were protests by US labour unions, comrade."
"The filthy US government was behind the unions, comrade. They want to link labourstandards to world trade."
"But won't that raise the wages of Indian labour?"
"But at what cost, comrade? Without cheap labour, we won't get foreigninvestment!"
"But I thought that CPM and the swadeshi brigade both opposed foreigninvestment!"
"But now that it has come, we must not lose our advantage, comrade!"
"Comrade, when successive coalition governments brought in liberalisation step bystep, why didn't you topple any government to stop it?"
"Because we want revolution without destabilising the government, comrade!"
"But liberalisation is bad for our workers, comrade. Our prices are global, our wagesswadeshi! A Suzuki Esteem in New York costs less than a Maruti Esteem in Mumbai. But autoworkers earn in the US over 10 times what they do in India!"
"We can't allow foreigners to influence our wage structure, comrade. If we dothat, we will lose our independence!"
"But the IAS officers and ifs officers got higher pay to keep up with mnc executives,comrade. Indian executives of foreign multinationals get huge emoluments to keep up withtheir foreign counterparts. Doesn't that lose us our independence?"
"No, comrade. That only proves we are equal to foreigners!"
"But if labour is cheap in India, why are prices so high?"
"Prices are high because of taxes and excise, comrade!"
"But taxes are mostly spent on the upkeep of our ministers and officials, comrade. Sothe profits are shared by foreign businessmen, Indian businessmen and Indianofficials?"
"That's how the system works, comrade."
"Our workers can't survive in this system, comrade!"
"That's why they must bring in revolution, comrade."
"By fighting the establishment?"
"No, by fighting globalisation."
"But Marx was for globalisation. He opposed exploitation."
"Things have changed, comrade. Surjeet opposes globalisation. He supportsexploitation."