Neo-liberal policies will go: CPI(M)
POLL AGENDA: CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, along with Polit Bureau members, releases the manifesto for the general elections, in New Delhi on Monday. From left are Brinda Karat, Sitaram Yechury, M.K. Pandhe and Mohd. Amin.
NEW DELHI (March 16, 2009): The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday said it was committed to forming a non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre that would strengthen democracy and ensure equitable economic development and social justice.
“Five years of the Congress-led government had been a major disappointment for the people and a let-down of the mandate of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections,” says the party in its manifesto for the general elections.
Four components
Releasing the document, general secretary Prakash Karat said the alternative policies would have at least four components: reversing the neo-liberal policies and bringing in pro-poor policies; standing firm on secularism and defending it; giving a new deal to all oppressed sections and ensuring social justice; and having an independent foreign policy.
On economic policies, the manifesto promises to increase the annual plan expenditure to 10 per cent of the country’s current GDP, stop further tax concessions to corporates, launch a drive to unearth black money, especially that stashed away in Swiss banks and other offshore tax havens, and strong regulation of the financial sector.
Other economic proposals include a total halt to disinvestment and privatisation of profit-making public sector undertakings, protecting the domestic industry from indiscriminate lowering of import duties and takeover of the existing Indian companies, prohibiting FDI in retail trade and reversing FDI guidelines to prevent backdoor entry.
Mr. Karat said the Left parties were successful in preventing the entry of WalMart into retail trade. He pointed out that the move would have displaced lakhs of shopkeepers and retail traders. Had Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had their way, the entire banking industry would have collapsed.
The manifesto notes that the CPI(M) and the Left acted as “sentinels of people’s interest” and the major legislation — the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Tribal Forest Rights Act — would not have come about in their present form without the party’s intervention.
It proposes strengthening democracy and federalism by amending Articles 355 (Protecting States against external aggression and internal disturbance) and 356 (imposition of President’s Rule) to prevent their misuse, devolving 50 per cent of the total collection of central taxes to States, a political solution to the Kashmir problem based on maximum autonomy on the full scope of Article 370 (special status to J&K.)
Terrorism
On terrorism, the manifesto says the policy will be to revamp the intelligence machinery, enhance coordination between the security and intelligence agencies, modernise police forces and strengthen coastal security.
Charging the Manmohan Singh government with following a foreign policy that “is tied to the coat-tail of the United States,” it promises to pursue an independent and non-aligned foreign policy that will defend India from imperialist pressures.
It proposes amendment to the Constitution to make legislative sanction mandatory for any international treaty and building of closer ties with West Asian countries.
Mr. Karat said the Defence Frame Agreement with the U.S. would be scrapped and the 123 Agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation reviewed and reworked.
As for Sri Lanka, he said there should be diplomatic and political efforts to protect the lives of Tamils in the war zone.
The party favoured an immediate political settlement based on autonomy for the Tamil-speaking areas within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.
“We are not happy as the Sri Lankan government has not expedited political settlement,” he said.
