People's Democracy

AFTER facing the heat of a united opposition in Lok Sabha, the BJP decided to support the opposition motion on Gujarat in Rajya Sabha. This was primarily to avoid certain defeat in the House in which the opposition has greater numbers. The opposition sponsored motion sought invoking of Article 355 as the Gujarat state government failed to run the administration in "accordance with the provisions of the Constitution". The Leader of the House, Jaswant Singh assured that the centre will take appropriate steps under Article 355.

What prompted the government to hold up proceedings for seven days, if this had been the government’s position, asked CPI(M) member, Nilotpal Basu while participating in the discussion. He lambasted the government for trying to conceal information regarding the Godhra incident. He also questioned as to why the BJP supported the bandh call given by the VHP on February 28. "Some people commented that the bandh call was an open signal for killing, looting, arson and rape. Who is responsible for all these things? Somebody’s culpability has to be established. It has now been established that swords and trishuls were being distributed by the Bajrang Dal during the Dikshant Samaroh, all over Gujarat. A big cache of swords, which were being taken from Rajasthan to Gujarat, were actually caught. Those swords and trishuls that were distributed, were used to kill the innocent people. When the whole administration is with the rioters, how can we believe the rioters will be arrested under non-bailable offences? Only 79 cases were registered under non-bailable offences. The officers who have tried to keep normalcy, have been shunted out. And why is it that only two BJP-ruled states, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were not having a state level Minorities Commission and Human Rights Commission?", questioned Nilotpal Basu.

Disagreeing with the government’s sudden appeal for unanimity, the entire opposition sought a CBI enquiry into the incidents of violence, including Godhra, and also a commission of inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court as recommended by the NHRC.

The Lok Sabha has approved the Finance Bill – 2002-03 on April 29 without rolling back the taxes imposed on various items, which was demanded by the majority of the members in the House. Rupchand Pal, CPI(M) member, participating in the discussion, described the budget exercise as directionless and clueless. The nearly Rs 2,800 crore relief given by the finance minister in respect of rebate, savings and in some other areas out of a total budget of Rs 4,10,000 crore was termed by him as peanuts.

Over the years, the tax-GDP ratio has been hovering around nine per cent or so. It is declining. The rich and super rich of this country are not paying much tax, he remarked. In reply to a specific question asked by him as to how many people in this country earn more than Rs 10 lakh per annum, this government had replied that only fifty thousand people earn that much while in just one colony of, South Delhi, one could easily easily find more than fifty thousand people earning Rs 10 lakh per annum or even more, he said.

While on the one hand there is reluctance on the part of the government to collect taxes from the rich, on the other hand there is firm determination to sell off even prestigious PSUs, said Rupchand Pal. He cited the case of Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), which has been producing one of the best quality steel in the country. He criticised the government for not doing anything to revive the company even though 27,000 families are dependent on it for their livelihood.

He lambasted the government for dismantling the administered price mechanism(APM) and shifting of the oil pool account money for financing budgetary deficits. Citing a public sector oil companies’ report he asserted that these companies have been losing nearly Rs 75 crore per day ever since the dismantling of the APM, and till date they have incurred a loss of Rs 7700 crore.

Another instance of government's total apathy to the well being of the poor is its decision to raise the price of kerosene, an item used predominantly by the poor. While the excise duty on items that are used by the common people has been raised from 8 to 16 per cent, on those used by the rich, it has been brought down from 16 to 8 per cent. Rupchand Pal felt that this policy will adversely affect the domestic petro-chemical industry. He also felt that the method of measuring inflation rate is incorrect and called for adoption of a mechanism for objective measurement of inflation.

He said the negative growth in exports was because of the demand recession, and the slashing down of customs duty as per WTO commitments. The small scale industries are at the moment reeling under the disastrous policy measures of the finance minister, who has even imposed tax on manufacturers of even commodities like umbrellas. More than one lakh people are involved in this industry. Saying that they cannot survive due to unequal competition that they are facing from the imported ready-made umbrellas, he demanded withdrawal of 4 per cent of excise duty imposed on this item. The government has taken a decision not only to dilute the 1997 Jute Packaging Order, but also recommended for the repeal of that order. It would spell disaster for the jute industry and to lakhs of workers in the country, warned Rupchand Pal.

Rajya Sabha held a discussion on the working of the labour ministry. Initiating the debate, CPI(M) member, Jibon Roy pointed out that this government had no time to think of the working class in the country. In the budget for 2001-02, only half-a-paisa of every rupee of the GDP was allocated for the welfare of labour as against seven paisa in the year 1993-94. He demanded an explanation from the government for its anti-labour bias at a time when it is widely accepted that the basic reason for the present economic crisis is not the labour.

Expressing concern over the large-scale retrenchment of workers in both the private and public sector, he said casualisation of labour is taking place on a large scale. Moreover the employers are continuously decreasing the wages of already low-paid workers.

The world over labour is facing a number of problems. The multinationals want to have the right to remove workers at will. This in practice brings down the wages of the workers. In India, workers are deprived of their democratic right to choose their leaders. Out of 370 million workers, only 26 million are covered under the Provident Fund Scheme. From 1997 to 2001, the provident fund arrears have increased from Rs 466 crore to Rs 1184 crore, said Jibon Roy.

The fact that only 25 per cent of the industrial disputes at the central level have been resolved shows the government’s utter neglect of the working class. The low safety standards in the coal mines have led to 206 workers’ deaths in accidents. Exploitation of children and women has become the order of the day under the present industrial policy. Female agriculture workers are now migrating to urban areas in search of jobs. They are joining informal sector. The female workers are not only subjected to sex harassment but are also lowly paid. The existence of child workers in large numbers carves a bleak future for the country, said Jibon Roy.

Criticism the so-called achievements of globalisation in this country, he said globalisation has meant only the exploitation of the poor. He thus called for its rejection.

Jibon Roy asked as to why there is no democracy for the labour in this country? Why secret ballot is not allowed at the factory gate? And why the government does not accept ‘right to work’ as a fundamental right ?