ELURU: Jagmohan Singh, a retired professor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and close relative of Bhagat Singh who laid down his life in the fight against the British colonial rule, strongly criticised the Government's decision to allow the US forces for exercises in the Indian Ocean and on land, close to the country's north borders.

Inaugurating the fifth all-India conference of the Indian Federation of Indian Trade Union (IFTU), Mr Singh apprehended that the move was a "big compromise" with the security of the country. He attributed the mass deaths of farmers across the country to the "nominal presence" of Government in the agricultural market.

The farmers and agricultural workers were losing their livelihood and rural economy was on the verge of destruction on account of the WTO policies, he said. Free market economy unleashed by globalisation was out to destroy food security system that was likely to cause "man-made famines".

Mr Singh was also highly critical of the modernisation programme undertaken by the Government. "Modernisation is defined as building airports, roads and malls at the cost of destruction of schools, hospitals and other facilities needed by the common man,'' he observed. The underlying problem with the actions taken in the name of modernisation was the failure to consider the concerns of common people, he added.

He pointed out that outside forces (US and WTO) were prodding the Indian Government to reduce its role in the agricultural sector on the one hand while aggressively striving for expansion of international airports on the other in spite of the fact that airports were not a priority to the majority of the people.

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