People's Democracy

Launch Struggles For Employment: Yechury

DYFI Campaign Against Unemployment

From March 23 – 28, 2005

THE two-day national workshop on employment organised by the DYFI in New Delhi on March 15-16 concluded with a clarion call to combat the menace of unemployment and to build a powerful movement in order to force the government to implement the pro-people commitments made in the CMP. The DYFI decided to launch a week long campaign against unemployment through out the country from March 23-28.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury in his concluding speech at the workshop said that the problem of unemployment in the country must be seen with the process of globalisation, the main economic objective of which is to get more and more profits for the multinationals and the main political objective of which is economic re-colonisation of the world. The basic organic relation of this process of development is to be understood where the capital can earn only by increasing the total amount of variable capital and this can only happen if the wages are reduced and unemployment is increased. Secondly, he said that the approach of the Indian ruling classes is such that they treat the population as a liability and not as an asset. Thirdly, the fact that more than 60 per cent of the population of the country is in the age group of less than 40 years – a youthful nation – is lost sight in the policy-making. Their energies are not being harnessed properly, which is an anti-national act, said Yechury. He said the people’s verdict in the last general election must be seen in this background. He concluded with a call for the DYFI to force the government, through struggles, to implement pro-people policies.

The central executive committee (CEC) of the DYFI, over 100 delegates from different parts of the country attended this two-day workshop. In all 8 sessions on different topics were organised.

Delivering his inaugural address, Professor Prabhat Patnaik objected to the government’s attitude towards the problem of unemployment in the country. The opinion that people have to learn to co-exist with unemployment is unacceptable, he said. Referring to the neo-liberal economists opposition to welfare spending by the government, Professor Patnaik said that the policy of neo-liberal economics itself is to appease the international finance capital and play to the tunes of it but not to the needs of national needs and priorities. The basic reason for the change  of  priorities in government functioning since the “reform” period is linked to this, he felt. “The finance minister is busy in pleasing the stock market brokers who threatened to go on strike against the proposed turnover tax. They wrongly believe that the nation can resolve all the problems it is facing by keeping the stock market in good humor”, said Professor Patnaik. He pointed out that nothing has happened on the unemployment front by the stock market index nearly reaching a staggering 7000 mark. He criticised the media for raising a hue and cry to whatever attempts the Left made to pressurise the government to undertake welfare measures citing the reason that it would anger foreign institutional investors and reduce the FDI flows. Taking strong objection to the argument that the central government is facing scarcity of funds in implementing the employment guarantee act, he reminded the audience that the defence budget alone has seen an improvement of Rs 19,000 crore whereas the EGA act required only Rs 25,000 crore for nationwide implementation. He criticised the Congress party for going back on its election promises made to the people, particularly on the employment guarantee. Professor Patnaik explained how the government expenditure, which is supposedly to be spent on the raising of purchasing power of the rural people, has gone down incrementally in the last 15 years beginning from 1991, leading to the increase in unemployment not only of the youth but also of the machines. The policies being implemented by the government are creating market for imported goods and commodities, thus creating employment opportunities outside the boundaries of the country, he said. This is the logic behind the essence of neo liberal economic policy arguing for the removal of all kind of tariff restrictions, he noted. Professor Patnaik concluded with a call to the youth to put counter-pressure on the government to implement the policies which are directed towards improving the employment opportunities in our country.

A paper on Current Employment situation was presented by Prof. C P Chander Shekhar (Professor in Economics, JNU). In informative speech he going by the NSS and Census Survey highlighted the growing unemployment in the country besides the kind of employment being generated. Since the 1990’s after the neo-liberal policies there is negative trend in the ration of agriculture and non agricultural employment scenario. The Casual employment share has increased in the period of 1977 and 1997 which earlier was 27% now has gone to 38%. Which means no new areas have been created as far as the employment is concerned. The census survey conducted by the government of India points out that the workforce has increased not amongst main workers, but in casual nature work, he said.

In his brief speech Com Mohd Salim, MP and former youth leader gave the picture of employment generation and the role of the government. After the group discussion the question were also answered. The topic on Employment Guarantee Act was taken by Ms Smita Gupta. The paper highlighted the flaws in the present bill and the alternative to it.

The Ground Realities of employment in organised sector was the topic, which was taken  by Dipankar Mukherjee. He blasted the much trumpeted campagn of the imperialist and national capitalist media about the sickness of the public sector. He said that according to the BIFR out of the total 5000k sick industries 4500 comprises in the private sector. He also commented on the FDI. He said that earlier there was technology transfer with FDI but now this is absent and creating no new jobs and further this is changing the nature of employment as well.

Employment in the unorganized sector was taken by Chittabrata Majumdar. He underlined the importance of the political will of the government and called upon the youth to real cause of unemployment.  He stated the importance of land reforms and the employment it would creates once operation.  The third part he laid stress upon was the fact that the decentralization of power and expenditure of development through elected bodies also enhances development. Fourthly he stressed for the manufacturing sector to play an important role in the generation of employment.

Suneet Chopra the founder joint secretary of DYFI took the topic on Employment in Agriculture sector.  In his comprehensive note he highlighted the plight of agriculture in the country and commented that it is the sick man of our economy.  But the government is not bothered about that. Corroborating the theory through facts and figures he was able to present the unambiguous picture of agriculture. In 1950-51 the contribution of agriculture to the GDP was 61% that has gone down to 24% in 2001-02. The value of the output has gone down he said. Referring to the fact that the land concentration is also in a few hands with over 90% of the rural population having land less than 4 hectares and over 60% having less than 1hectare.  The number of working days have also gone down considerable he said, which were about 122 in`198 have gone down to just 72 days a year in 2000.

He stated that the resources are also concentrated in a few hands in period  of 1991 to2001 more than 3 crore  30 lakh lost their land. The era of neo liberal reforms is further compounding the problems of unemployment.

The general secretary of DYFI Tapas Sinha in conclusion called upon the youth to observe a week long campaign against unemployment from March 23 – 28, 2005. (INN)