People's Democracy

THE Ayodhya issue on the ninth anniversary of the Babri demolition rocked the parliament on December 6, leading to adjournment of both the houses. Unitedly, opposition members vociferously demanded that their adjournment motions indicting the BJP government be admitted. Lok Sabha was drowned in the din as the opposition and the treasury benches were on their feet, raising slogans. Sensing the mood of the opposition, the speaker adjourned the house for the day.

It was no different scene in Rajya Sabha. The opposition raised the issue as soon as the house assembled. Witnessing the scene for a few minutes, the chairman adjourned the house for the day.

Earlier, on December 3, Lok Sabha held a short duration discussion on the Ayodhya issue. During the discussion, the CPI(M)’s Somnath Chatterjee said the incident on October 17, 2001 was part of a calculated scheme to rouse communal passion in this country. The proximity of the UP election has no doubt energised the BJP and its cohorts like the VHP to try to force the issue so that Hindutva becomes the main plank of these elections.

According to Chatterjee, it is a matter of anguish that the highest forum of the country is devoting time on maintaining its constitution’s secular fabric that is under attack, instead of devoting more and more time to the pressing issues like economic slowdown, unemployment, disinvestment, loss of jobs etc. Ayodhya is not a matter of religion; it has become a political issue. Home minister L K Advani has openly admitted that he is sitting here because of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. This country has got a unique distinction of having a home minister who is charge-sheeted and a defence minister whose defense deals are under inquiry. This is a mockery of justice and shows the type of governance that we have in this country. This is why people’s faith in the system of justice stands shaken.

Chatterjee then curtly said that the compulsion of coalition government cannot decide the merits or demerits of an issue, and interest of propriety or probity cannot be sacrificed for it. Chatterjee also warned the NDA allies that the Ayodhya issue is being utilised for the purpose of perpetuating the rule of the BJP and not of the NDA. He concluded by saying that whatever may be the RSS-BJP scheme to divide the country on the basis of religion for the sake of electoral benefits, the common people of India will never tolerate the decimation of the secular fabric of this country.

Lok Sabha passed the Constitution (Ninety-Third Amendment) Bill 2001. Initiating the discussion, the CPI(M)’s Samik Lahiri said several committees and commissions looked into different aspects of education, right from elementary to higher education. Yet, according to the World Education Report, India has 32.3 per cent of the world’s illiterates and its share in global illiteracy will go up to 34 per cent in the year 2004. There are obvious reasons for keeping the vast population illiterate, which are reflected among other things in the inadequate expenditure on education. This expenditure has constantly gone down from the first to the ninth five-year plan. This government’s own budget allocation for education in the last two years has gone down in terms of percentage.

India signed in 1992 the UN charter that said that the government has to take care of early childhood care and education. But this is not being properly done. Referring to what Professors Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze have pointed out on this score, he said their research papers state that if we put five paise in elementary education, we would get 25 paise back in our GDP. But the constitution bill states that it is a parent or a guardian who will be responsible for providing opportunities for the children’s education. Lahiri concluded by saying that the government is thus shying away from its responsibility by shifting the burden on to the shoulders of the parents and guardians.

Lok Sabha has passed the supplementary demands for grants (general) 2001-02. From the CPI(M) side, A K Premajam rejected the optimistic claim of the finance minister about seven per cent GDP growth, and said the ground realities in agriculture, industry, in education, health and the economy overall are very bleak. Prices of cash crops as well as foodgrains have completely crashed. Farmers are engaged in distress sale of their produce in order to tide over the loan problem. They are committing suicide in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. In Kerala, the value of all cash crops has gone down under the impact of globalisation. Even drinking water situation is adversely affected. This is one of the problems the country is going to face on a very large scale in the years to come, she warned.

In regard to industry, the government is going ahead with disinvestment. Even profit-making public sector units are not spared. A supplementary grant is required for providing non-plan loans for Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bengal Immunity, Smith Kline Pharmaceuticals etc. But we have come to know that the government has informed the BIFR that it is not going to give any further financial support to these companies. The overall economic situation is such that many of the women who lost their jobs are constrained to enter into prostitution.

Lok Sabha has also passed the supplementary demands for grants (railways) 2001-02. From the CPI(M) side, A K Premajam and V Radhakrishnan said it has become a routine to make supplementary demands for grants every year. They also dealt with the problems facing the Indian Railway, the precarious situation of safety in trains and the Justice Khanna committee report about safety concerns.

The CPI(M) MPs pointed out that there are a large number of bridges on the rail lines that are over a century old. Thousands of kilometres of rail tracks are overaged and need immediate replacement. But this is not being done. Privatisation has come to roost. Rail workers are being thrown out of employment. Almost all important works are being given on contract. They have hiked the rail fares. They recently hiked the fares in the name of providing funds for rail safety. Now they are proposing to divert it. This is against the constitution and against the will of the people.

The CPI(M) MPs complained that compartments are drenched with rainwater in Southern Railways during the monsoon, and demanded that the doubling of the rail track from Ernakulam via Kottayam must be expeditiously completed.

In Rajya Sabha, Dipankar Mukherjee of the CPI(M) raised the issue of the government’s discriminatory policy on the revival of public sector pharmaceutical units. He said the BIFR has directed the winding up of Smith Stanistreet Pharmaceuticals Limited (SSPL). The government of India did not provide any relief necessary for revival of this company.

In the case of Bengal Immunity, another pharmaceutical PSU located in West Bengal, the government informed the BIFR that it is not willing to continue as a promoter of the company any more, and that any decision by the BIFR to wind up of the company would be acceptable. This is just opposite to the decision taken by the government for pharmaceutical units like the IDPL and UPDPL. In both these cases the government of India agreed to extend relief and concessions for the revival of these companies. It is obvious that discrimination is being meted out to the companies in West Bengal for political reasons. Mukherjee then demanded that the government shun this attitude and revive the SSPL and Bengal Immunity.

CPI(M) members in both houses raised the issue of nationwide strike by coal workers. Drawing attention to the massive success of the strike involving six lakh miners across the country, they said the workers have demonstrated their anguish against the policy of privatisation. The striking workers demanded immediate withdrawal of the coal denationalisation bill introduced in the parliament. The government’s move will not only bring distress to the coal workers; it will also ruin the industry. It is also a matter of shame and agony that coal workers have not been paid their wage arrears for the last six years. The CPI(M) members asked the government to eschew its privatisation move and come to terms with the coal workers’ united movement.

Rajya Sabha held a short duration discussion on growing unemployment in the country, when opposition members ridiculed the prime minister’s announcement in 1998 that about 100 million jobs would be created in the next 10 years. Now, after three years, in December 2001, the same prime minister has asked the unemployed youth not to pin up any hope on the government. The opposition members expressed their anguish over 4 crore registered unemployed people in employment exchanges in the country while, every year, 8 to 10 lakh new people get their names registered.

The opposition also warned that the dwindling employment opportunities in the organised sector, in the government sector in particular, has created an explosive situation which may erupt in the form of uncontrollable social unrest in the country. This involves an issue of policy, the CPI(M)’s Jibon Ray emphasised. The question is whether there will be jobless growth or whether there will be growth with jobs. This is the moot question. He said the implementation of land reforms is one of the important means to alleviate poverty and create employment in agriculture and industries. Otherwise, hunger will persist and starvation deaths will be taking place amid huge foodgrain stocks.

It is also necessary to seriously implement the food for work programme. Members suggested that thrust be laid on employment oriented education, privatisation and disinvestment of public sector be stopped, small-scale industries be strengthened, job opportunities in irrigation projects as well as in food processing industry be created, and floriculture and horticulture be promoted, among other things.