FORCE UPA GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE ITS POLICIES

Editorial

Force a Change in Policies

The demands never end. The blackmailing continues. The government of India alleged to be ‘paralysed’ and ‘inactive’ at once became hyperactive in responding to the Voice of America. It announced a spate of ‘big ticket reforms’. FDI in foreign trade has been allowed. Diesel prices hiked. Number of cooking gas cylinders curtailed. Disinvestment of public sector undertakings announced. The union cabinet decided to increase FDI in insurance sector to 49% and provide access to foreign firms to the pension funds of our people. But the thirst of international finance for prising open our economy could not be quenched. They want more. The international rating agency, Standard and Poor’s warned the Indian government that unless further ‘reforms’ are undertaken, it would downgrade it to ‘junk’ status.

The Finance Minster was not at all bothered when the workers and people across the political spectrum vociferously opposed these policies through the all India bandh on 20th September. Unperturbed, he declared his determination to ‘implement, disinvest and dilute’ – implement FDI in insurance, pension and retail, disinvest in four more public sector undertakings and dilute the retrospective tax amendments to benefit multinational corporations like Vodafone. He did not feel any need to even talk to the people and their representative organisations. But such irreverence cannot be shown to international finance. The same Finance Minister at once expressed his readiness to ‘engage with the rating agency and convince them that India does not deserve a downgrade’. Within 24 months, the time frame set out by it – ‘you will see lot of reforms and lot of change’ he promised, displaying the eagerness of the government to please the boss.

What a shame! The elected government of over a billion strong country, the largest democracy in the world, whose people – workers and peasants, fought for over a century to drive out British imperialism, is taking orders, 65 years after its independence from imperialism, led now by the USA.

Such kowtowing to the diktats of international finance capital and sacrificing the interests of the people of this country at their altar, cannot be tolerated. The joint trade union movement that is spearheading the struggle against the neoliberal policies must mobilise not only its entire strength but also the support of all sections of the working people in this fight. Massive participation in the Jail Bharo and March to Parliament in December and the 15th joint country wide general strike on 20,21 February 2013 should be ensured to warn the government and force it to reverse the anti people policies of so called ‘reforms'.

The ‘mahapadav’ of scheme workers from 26th November being organised by CITU will help to further strengthen this struggle against the neoliberal policies. The ‘Voice of the Working Woman’ fully supports the demands of the anganwadi employees, ASHAs, mid day meal workers and all the other scheme workers – of minimum wages, social security benefits and regularisation.

However, the fight against neoliberal reforms alone is not enough. The ultimate objective is a society free from exploitation. That such a society is possible was shown by the Great October Revolution in Russia 95 years ago under the leadership of the working class. The developments during the last two decades after the fall of the Soviet Union prove the failure of the capitalist system.

On the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Great October Revolution let us dedicate ourselves to the struggle for an exploitation free world.

Courtesy: The Voice of Working Women (CITU)