Press Statement:
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Prime Minister in his address to the nation yesterday after assumption of office, though talks of consensus on national issues, has just echoed the demands made in the recent statements by CII and Assocham.
The policy framework trotted by the Prime Minister is exactly the same as mentioned in the documents of the IMF and the World Bank. His call for speeding up of economic reforms is what the multinational companies and Indian big business is asking for. The entry of MNCs in Insurance and banking sector is on the cards. The disinvestment of public sector at a faster rate, if implemented will immensely harm the self-reliant growth of Indian economy. In the name of "fiscal rectitude" he has advocated cutting down developmental expenditure and subsidies.
His talk of removal of bottlenecks in foreign direct investment will only give green signal to the MNCs to control Indian economy and earn fabulous profits.
The speech does not mention anything about controlling the prices of essential commodities. It is futile to argue that the existing policies will automatically generate employment opportunities. As a matter of fact joblessness in the economy is growing at an alarming rate.
Though the Prime minister talked about safe drinking water, primary health services, primary education, rural roads, housing to rural homelsss and for all, he does not say that the government would do this. He only sought participation of private sector in this task. His government's refusal to raise any resources by taxing the rich will only lead to putting more burdens on the poorer sections of the society.
The 13 month of Vajpayee government have seen a dangerous growth of terrorism in the country while the life of ordinary citizens was insecure with growing crime wave in the country, with communal agenda at the forefront of the RSS it is ridiculous to talk about zero tolerance to terrorism.
The Prime Minister preaching of secularism and unity of the people are meaningless when the Hindutuva ideology is causing serious concern among the minorities.
The toiling people of India have nothing to cheer about the speech of the Prime Minister which only gladdens the hearts of MNCs, big business houses and the landed gentry in the rural areas.
The CPI(M) warns the Indian people about the impending attacks on their livelihood and calls upon all secular and patriotic forces to resist these attacks which alone can ensure protection of the living standard of the common people and cherished traditions of secularism in India.