People's Democracy

UPA-2 Govt is Directionless: Yechury

THE present UPA-2 government is a directionless, one reeling under one corruption scandal or another, said CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury.

Yechury made this remark while addressing a Meet the Press programme organised by the AP Union of Working Journalists in Hyderabad on June 13, 2011. He said there is a marked difference between the UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments. The first edition that was supported by the Left parties from outside functioned in the framework of a Common Minimum Programme. As it signed the nuclear deal in violation of the CMP, the Left parties had to withdraw support. That government had to undertake certain measures in relief for the common masses like NREGA, Forest Rights Act etc under pressure from the Left. But the UPA-2 government is steeped in massive corruption by Congress and its key allies as evident in 2G spectrum, CWG, Adarsh Housing scheme etc.

Yechury reiterated the CPI(M) stand that corruption can be curbed through a multi-pronged approach of which Lokpal Bill with prime minister in its ambit is one crucial part. Judicial reforms as well as electoral reforms including the banning of corporate funding for political parties must be undertaken. The corporate bodies provide funds as they are getting huge tax concessions. Corporate funds to political parties must be banned and a different system evolved whereby funds must be given to either the Election Commission or some other government organisation and a corpus created from these amounts, he suggested. It should be ensured that these funds reach the political parties in the form of services and not as hard cash, advised Yechury. He proposed serious action against the political parties that resort to electoral irregularities in the form of distribution of money.

On Bengal violence, Yechury said over 400 Left activists have so far been brutally murdered by TMC-Congress goons and the ‘Maoists’ since the last Lok Sabha elections. After the results of recent assembly polls, another 14 have been killed. He felt that what is going on in West Bengal presently is a class struggle. All the gains and achievements made by the poorest sections are being sought to be undone by the ruling classes who have rallied behind the TMC-Congress combine.

He said the Central Committee of the party identified the mistakes committed, leading to the Left Front losing power in Bengal after a record 34 years. Elaborating on this aspect, he said that where acquisition of agricultural land is unavoidable, a meeting with the farmers and all local political leaders and cadres must be  organised and only then a decision on acquisition procurement of land must be taken. But this did not occur at Singur. The Left Front, which contested the 2006 assembly elections with the slogan of industrialisation, got over a three-fourths majority. Because of this, its government came to the false conclusion that all the people are with it in the process of industrialisation that it had undertaken. The preliminary exercises and preparations needed for land procurement were not done. Some such mistakes took place and they were identified, said the CPI(M) leader. He revealed that the Central Committee has chalked out corrective measures in order to win over the alienated sections.

Asked about the unity of the Left parties, Yechury said every progressive person desires a greater unity of Left parties. But there are two methods in achieving it. One method is that leaders at the top of the individual parties join hands and declare unity, and the other is the merger of the local level cadres, with feelings of unity. The second method, we believe, is good for the long-term goals. Attempts are going on in that direction. Mass organisations are fighting together on various issues, said Yechury. But the question of merger is now not on the agenda. It can come only when all the issues that caused the split in 1964 are resolved, in the first place, he said. (INN)