People's Democracy

THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT

Subhas Ray

ON July 22, first day of the second week of monsoon session, both houses were rocked over dissolution of the Gujarat assembly and the Modi government’s request for polls in the state. Opposition parties stalled the proceedings in both houses, demanding suspension of the question hour to discuss the issue. 

In Lok Sabha, some opposition members rushed to the well of the house and raised anti-Modi slogans. Amid pandemonium, the speaker adjourned the house till 2 p m. But there was no let-up in the commotion when the house reassembled. Deputy speaker P M Sayeed then adjourned the house for the day. The scene in Rajya Sabha was no different. It was adjourned for the day, after the question hour. Ultimately, the government conceded the opposition’s demand for a discussion on Gujarat.

GUJARAT: BJP PLAN

TO RETAIN POWER

From the CPI(M) side, Basudeb Acharya and Somnath Chatterjee took part in the discussion in Lok Sabha and Nilotpal Basu in Rajya Sabha. Initiating the discussion, Acharya sharply attacked the Modi government, saying what took place in Gujarat was no communal riot. It was a carnage, mayhem, ethnic cleansing.  What happened in Godhra on February 27 and in whole of Gujarat later was pre-planned. We have seen a number of riots in our country, but never a riot sponsored by a state government for five long months. It was part of the BJP plan to remain in power; its game was to have a snap poll after the carnage. It was like playing politics on dead bodies.

Acharya said when Modi recommended assembly dissolution, the pro-RSS governor accepted it in no time and the centre immediately moved the Election Commission. The union government took shelter under article 174. A number of experts have said this article does not apply if an assembly stands dissolved. The next assembly election is due in March 2003. Acharya asked: Why was Modi in such hurry?  How will they conduct free and fair elections in Gujarat where normalcy is not yet restored? Acharya demanded Modi’s imposition of president’s rule there to ensure free and fair polls. 

In regard to relief and rehabilitation of the victims, Acharya said the state government ordered that there would be no relief camps from May 1. But still there are 15 relief camps with thousands of people. The victims are not yet back to their residences, but staying in their relatives’ houses. Many have migrated to other states. How can these people exercise their franchise, Acharya asked. He also wanted to know how much money had been spent out of the prime minister’s assistance package of Rs 150 crore, how many were rehabilitated, how many houses rebuilt and how many have got compensated.

While reinforcing what Acharya had said, Somnath Chatterjee detailed the miserable plight of the camp inmates. He also said the central government had not taken appropriate steps to protect the people there. Also, the Muslim tenants are not being given any compensation for their arsoned houses. Rather, the compensation is being given to the landlords who are from the other community, as the tenants cannot show any documents. 

Asking how these people could freely take part in elections, Chatterjee said many names have been deleted from voter lists. They have lost identity cards, ration cards and voter slips in the carnage. The situation is far from normal. The ongoing trials are a mockery. Already the accused in some cases have been exonerated. There is no law and order, no sense of security. In this situation, Chatterjee concluded, the BJP is playing a heinous game to take advantage of the people’s misery.

Nilotpal Basu said the government admitted that the situation in Gujarat was not normal when it joined hands with the opposition to pass a resolution in Rajya Sabha, on May 6. Upholding the Election Commission’s right to fix the election dates, Basu pointed out that Gujarat assembly had not been called for three and a half months; thus in this period the state government did not have any accountability. Nor did the government of India honour the unanimous resolution adopted by the house. So, he asked, what right this government has to talk about constitution and the Election Commission’s constitutional powers? He concluded with an emphasis on defending the commission’s independence.

On July 24, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after condoling the demise of a sitting member, Atmarambhai Patel.

FLOODS &

DROUGHT

People are dying due to floods in Bihar, Assam, Gujarat, West Bengal and other states whereas Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala are reeling under severe drought conditions. On the opposition’s insistence, Lok Sabha held a discussion on the issue on July 25.

From the CPI(M) side, Subodh Roy said 60 per cent of our people are facing the horrors of a drought. In Kerala, water level in the reservoirs of big dams has drastically gone down, due to which power generation has suffered. Roy demanded that all the drought-hit areas be declared as such and the loans of poor, marginal and middle peasants waived off. Power tariff too must also be waived off for them. Not only peasants, lakhs of weavers, agricultural labourers and others are also affected. Banks are using harsh measures to recover loans from them, but take no action against industrialists. Roy demanded urgent steps to recover Rs 83,000 crore outstanding against the industrialists in order to mobilise funds, adding that the government’s ‘no fund’ argument does not hold any water.

Roy quoted the experience of 1967 when, under similar conditions in Bihar, the government started fair price shops in every area and not a single starvation death was reported. Under the Food for Work programme, repair of damaged dams, ponds and roads was taken up and all the landless labourers were put on the job. What is disgusting is that this government is yet to awake from its deep slumber while the country is facing one or another calamity every year. It has no comprehensive policy to face the challenge of recurrent floods and droughts. Everything is done in a casual way.

ISSUE OF MONEY

LAUNDERING

Rajya Sabha passed the Prevention of Money Laundering Bill 1999 on July 25. Participating in the debate, the CPI(M)’s A Vijayaraghavan said money laundering largely concerns the illicit narcotics trade. Distinguishing between white and black money is becoming increasingly difficult. The definition of money laundering has been changed in the bill to protect the money launders. The CPI(M) member opposed the definition given in the first part of the bill. 

Dealing with the hawala route, he expressed concern over its growing importance. Recently, in one week, about Rs 333 crore came through this route in Kerala. Hawala amounts are split into smaller components, deposited in different banks to escape detection, and used for anti-national purposes. So the limit must be drastically reduced to contain this menace. 

Referring to the Xeroxcorp scandal and the Bofors and many other scams earlier, the CPI(M) member said there is bribing in every government order.  But the government cannot dare investigate the scams for obvious reasons.  Even when this bill was introduced, there was opposition from big business houses like Assocham and FICCI. So the corrupt are sitting at the top but the people’s attention is diverted to petty clerks. For economic offenders, there is an escape route inherent in our system. The government moves only when there is some leak. Some of the bill’s provisions would prevent the authorities from taking effective steps against money laundering, thus helping the anti-socials. The change in clause 23 of the bill is very dangerous because of a change in the onus of proof. Vijayaraghavan also moved some amendments to the bill which the house rejected.

In Rajya Sabha, the CPI(M)’s C O Paulose drew attention to the privatisation of Cochin Shipyard. He said since its inception the shipyard has built and delivered eight major ships and many small vessels. Besides making profits continuously, it contributed a sum of Rs 75 crore to the national exchequer.  In ship-repair also, its performance is commendable and it is getting orders for ship-repair. The yard has received a letter of intent for construction of an air defence ship for Indian Navy. If the revised estimate of Rs 3,500 crore for this ship is approved, the construction of the ship can start next year and completed in five years. The shipyard has a marine coating shop equipped with the most modern machinery. Poulose urged the government to take into consideration the Cochin Shipyard’s strategic importance and withdraw the proposal to privatise it.