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 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 )
Courtesy: People’s Democracy
