People's Democracy

Polit Bureau Flays SEZ Policy Of UPA Govt

B Prasant

MEETING in Kolkata at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan for two days over September 12-13, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau discussed a number of issues of national and international importance.

Briefing the media later on, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said that the Polit Bureau discussed the draft version of the organisational report that would be placed in the forthcoming meeting of the CPI(M) central committee for further discussion and final adoption. The organisational report was an interim review of progress made since the 18th Party congress held in Delhi. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Biman Basu was present at the media conference on September 13.

Condemning the Malegaon blasts in the strongest terms, Prakash Karat said that the security agencies of the union government and the Maharashtra government should make common cause and coordinate their activities to find out and unearth the persons and the networks acting behind the scenes to bring about these blasts. Without such an effort, the terrorist attacks could never be pre-empted effectively.

The Polit Bureau has decided to send to Malegaon two senior CPI(M) members of parliament, Basudeb Acharya and Amitava Nandi to try and find out the facts behind the blasts and also to convey the Party’s solidarity and sympathy to the people of Malegaon.

SEZ POLICY CRITICISED

Prakash Karat expressed anxiety over the proposed Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being floated by the Congress-led UPA government. The CPI(M) general secretary pointed out that existing rules and procedures led to hundreds of thousands of peasants being evicted from agricultural land plots. The land losers were not paid any recompense. No alternative means of living were forthcoming from the union government.

The sweeping tax exemption plumped for by the union government for the SEZs would lead, Prakash Karat apprehended, to a severe loss of revenue for an economy that was close to dysfunction. The present central legislation allows more than 75 per cent of the land mass allotted for the SEZs to be utilised for real estate promotion. In comparison, the Bengal Left Front’s government has sensibly insisted that only 25 per cent of the land in the SEZs should be used for building activities. The issue would be taken up by the CPI(M) with the union government, assured Prakash Karat. The CPI(M) leader lauded the Bengal LF government for its clear-cut land use policy.

Prakash Karat expressed anxiety also over the rampant price rise. He pointed out that the decision to import wheat in large quantities and to withdraw all forms of duty on such wheat imports would further jeopardise the public distribution system (PDS). The wheat stocks of the Food Corporation of India were running low and the private importers were never likely to channelise the imported wheat to the people through the PDS. ‘Our farmers deserve a better deal than what they are being handed out,’ declared the CPI(M) general secretary.

VENEZUELA’S CANDIDATURE

Prakash Karat said that the UPA government must decide upon supporting Venezuela in the latter country’s candidature for a seat on the UN Security Council from the Latin America-Caribbean region. Venezuela is an important bastion of anti-imperialism. It is a leading participant in the G-33 and G-77 groups of developing nations. Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez on his visit to India had assured the union government on oil exports and on help in the realm of oil exploration.

On the other hand United States, dead opposed to the Venezuelan candidature, is supporting Guatemala, a country that boasts of the worst records of atrocities committed on people and which remains under dictatorial rule from 1954. Prakash karat noted that prime minister Singh should not wait to find which way the wind blows before deciding to support Venezuela’s candidature.

Prakash Karat noted that the Polit Bureau asked Jyoti Basu to continue to be on the PB and offer his valued guidance to the Party. Basu had earlier asked to be relieved from the PB on grounds of indifferent health that sometimes prevented him from effective participation in the manner he would like it to be. The issue would be taken up at the next Party Congress, said the CPI(M) general secretary.

Answering questions from the media persons, Prakash Karat said that the NAM meeting in Havana should be utilised to start a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan while communicating to that country India’s views on terrorism. He said that the US was the greatest promoter and exporter of terrorism as events in Afghanistan and Iraq could effectively demonstrate. The NAM must discuss terrorism and its ramifications in some detail, opined the CPI(M) leader.