Expressing disappointment at the Left Parties withdrawing support to the Centre, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Wednesday said that the India-United States nuclear deal was not enough of a reason for pulling down a government.
"I wouldn't have regarded this to be as important as it has been made out to be. I wouldn't have thought it is a life and death issue...I would not have thought it is a reason of pulling a government down," Sen said in an interview.
The noted economist said he was in favour of nuclear disarmament all over the world but was disappointed by the Left's withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance government.
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"I really expect the Left to have a bigger role than it has had in keeping an eye on the prize, which is to remove the massive deprivation of the poorest in India," he said.
"...Left attitude in politics is determined by certain political attitude but sometimes some attitudes are not very pragmatic," he said.
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According to Sen, the Left overestimates the United States.
"One place where the US government has really got respect is the Left. They believe that that the US is really powerful and they have to be in awe of them. So I am not sure that it was such an intelligent policy. Now they have to concentrate on being anti-Congress," he said.
Asserting that the Left had lost its voice, Sen said, "If the UPA government had lost the trust vote, there might have been elections and the Congress might have lost, but the Left would have lost a lot too".