People's Democracy

INDEPENDENCE DAY ADDRESS:

Quagmire of Neo-Liberal Policies and Corruption

THE prime minister delivered his customary address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 65th anniversary of independence.  The prime minister’s speech on August 15 is meant to tell the people how the country has shaped up in the past year and to indicate how the government proposes to meet the challenges faced by the country.

Independence Day is being celebrated this year at a time when the country is beset with serious economic difficulties.  The people are groaning under severe price rise and the food inflation rate announced on the eve of Independence Day stands at over 10 per cent.  Drought conditions exist in different parts due to deficient rainfall.  Industrial production has fallen to a new low.  Exports have registered a sharp fall.  All these portend gloomy prospects for the employment and the livelihood of the people. 

In these circumstances, the address of Dr Manmohan Singh was particularly lacklustre.  This was a speech which displayed all the characteristics of the UPA-2 government in its fourth year in office – of a government flailing about, caught in the quagmire of neo-liberal policies and corruption. 

The prime minister stated in his speech that “As far as creating an environment within the country for rapid economic growth is concerned, I believe that we are not being able to achieve this because of a lack of  political consensus on many issues.”  This is a deceptive statement.  The prime minister and his government  have been trying to push through neo-liberal measures by hook or by crook.  Recently, the prime minister lifted the prohibition on the transfer of government land to private parties in the PPP projects without cabinet approval.  Such land transfers by executive decision are open to corrupt practices.  Similarly, the government has not cared for any political consensus when it comes to opening up of various sectors to FDI.  Making the current economic slow down as the excuse,  the prime minister and the finance minister are busy in pushing through a series of measures to help foreign and Indian capital and corporates and to help them circumvent taxes. 

In the Independence Day address last year, the prime minister had talked about controlling rising prices as the topmost priority.  He had also promised a new Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation law which would protect the interests of those dependent on land. In the present address, there is no mention whatsoever of the steps taken in this direction. Prices continue to spiral and the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation law has not been adopted by parliament even after a year. The prime minister was also silent on the Food Security law which is urgently required. 

The prime minister had devoted substantial space in his 2011 address to the issue of corruption. He had said, “In some other incidents, government discretion is used to favour a selected few.  There are also cases where government contracts are wrongfully awarded to the wrong people.  We cannot let such activities continue unchecked.”

The massive corruption which has become the hallmark of the UPA regime has, once again been exposed with the latest CAG report on the coal block allocations.  It is estimated that a loss of Rs 1.8 lakh crores was incurred in  awarding these contracts. 

An effective Lokpal Act was promised to be enacted in the address last year as one of the measures to check corruption.   The prime minister is being disingenuous in announcing in his speech that, “I am happy to state that during the last one year we have achieved good progress in this area.”    For this, the prime minister has cited the Lokpal Bill adopted in the Lok Sabha.  The UPA government has tried its best to get an ineffective Lokpal legislation adopted in parliament.  In the Rajya Sabha, last December, the amendments proposed to make the Lokpal more effective were sought to be scuttled.  The Congress leadership has shown remarkable consistency in trying to protect those guilty of high level corruption.

The prime minister expressed concern at the large-scale communal violence in the Bodoland territorial area in Assam. But the lack of timely and effective intervention by the state government and the centre contributed to the gravity of the situation.  There are worrying signs of communal tensions and incidents elsewhere too.  There have been a series of communal incidents in Uttar Pradesh particularly in west UP.  The communal forces are trying to utilise the deteriorating economic conditions of the people to stoke communal tensions.  The blasts in Pune must be seen as part of the handiwork of such extremist forces.  There is a need for greater vigilance and efforts to safeguard the secular basis of independent India. 

The pledge to be taken on the occasion of Independence Day is to step up the struggle against the rampant exploitation which the people suffer from and the growing inequalities. The quest for the economic and social emancipation of the people has to be pursued. Only this can fulfill the goal of true independence. 

(August 15, 2012)