The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Left wants UPA Govt. to follow pro-people policies'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Left wants UPA Govt. to follow pro-people policies'

By Our Staff Correspondent

S. Ramachandran Pillai, member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), speaking at the conference of the party in Udupi on Saturday

UDUPI, JAN. 21. S. Ramachandran Pillai, member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said on Friday that the Left parties want the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government to follow pro-people policies.

Concern

Speaking after inaugurating the 18th State-level conference of the CPI(M) here, Mr. Pillai said the UPA Government had made good progress in many areas. But there are some areas of concern. India's relations with the U.S. remain the same. The UPA Government wants an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the civil aviation, telecom, and insurance sectors. The move to privatise banks is not good.

The CPI(M) is supporting the UPA Government to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay. But the party's support is conditional and issue-based.

Development

He said the most important development in the past year is the defeat of the BJP-led NDA Government. The NDA Government was unabashed in its pursuit of globalisation policies. It was pro-U.S. The Indian Army had conducted joint exercises with the U.S. Army. With this, the U.S. is privy to all military secrets.

The CIA and FBI had been allowed to extend their activities in India. Relations with Israel had been strengthened.

The worst communal riots in Gujarat took place under the BJP rule in that State. People with communal leanings were appointed as heads of various academic institutions.

The BJP-led NDA Government was the most reactionary Government in the history of Independent India.

Hence, the Left parties have included many positive aspects in the Common Minimum Programme, which forms its basis for supporting the UPA Government.

Third front

Mr. Pillai said if a third front comes into being, it should be based on some principles and not merely for electoral gains. The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, is talking about such a front. But the Left parties will react to such a proposal when the front makes its stand clear on issues such as globalisation, policies regarding the U.S., Israel, land reforms, and FDI.

The U.S. is trying to establish its supremacy over the world to further the interests of multinational companies. The U.S. wants to control oil and other important resources in the world. It had declared its policy of pre-emptive strikes. The U.S. had imposed sanctions on Cuba and North Korea. But it had met with resistance in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan, he said.

He said the resistance to globalisation had increased in Latin American and other countries such as France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. Wherever the G-7 and World Bank meetings were held, people staged demonstrations against them. Countries such as China and Cuba, which are following the Socialist system of Government, had made rapid progress and are providing social security benefits to its citizens, he added.

David Karkada welcomed the gathering. The Secretary of the State unit of the CPI(M), G.N. Nagaraj, and Maruti Manpad, Prasanna, S.Y. Gurushant, Nityananda Swamy, G.C. Bayyareddy, K. Shankar, party leaders, were present.

J. Veerappa and Povappa Salian from Dakshina Kannada, Mr. Karkada from Udupi, D.M. Kalasi from Bagalkot, and Mugwalappa from Bangalore were felicitated.

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