 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Monday, Apr 13, 2009 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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About turn: SP chief Mulayam Singh LUCKNOW/PATNA: Facing criticism for opposing English and computers in its poll manifesto as “living in the 19th century”, the Samajwadi Party was at pains on Sunday to explain it was not against their use but only did not want them to be made compulsory. The Congress and the BJP attacked Mulayam Singh’s party for dragging India into the stone ages while Priyanka Gandhi ridiculed the SP document as a “strange manifesto in 21st century” and wondered who drafted it. The former UP Chief Minister said he was not against studying in English, when it was pointed out that his son had studied in a convent school. But he insisted that it “should not be compulsory in offices.” “I am not against English but its use should not be a compulsion. It should not be compulsory in public life,” Mulayam, the SP chief, said in Lucknow. He said be it government jobs or private jobs, the compulsion of using English should end. SP general secretary Amar Singh said they were not opposing use of computers but they should not lead to loss of jobs. “We have said that those who do not get equal opportunity should not have English as a compulsion. And computers should remain but should not replace human workforce,” Singh told reporters in Patna. BJP spokesperson Siddarth Nath said, “It seems to be a manifesto of a party living in 19th century while the youthful nation is aspiring and beckoning to lead the world in the 21st century.” “A manifesto like this which seeks to drag India into the stone ages must be condemned and rejected,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said. Mulayam Singh, who has teamed up with RJD and LJP to put up candidates against Congress, have kept his party’s post-poll options open. Asked whether he would go with the Third Front or Congress, he said, “We will decide on this issue after the elections.” The SP chief said all decisions about the post-poll scenario would be taken after the election results are declared.
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