People8217;s Democracy

In their joint letter to the PM, published in People8217;s Democracy, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan say there are six areas in which specific commitments have been made in the NCMP that need 8220;substantial fund allocation8221;: public investment in agriculture; six per cent of GDP on education; two to three per cent of GDP on health; social security for workers in the unorganised sector; universalisation of Integrated Child Development Services ICDS; guaranteed employment for 100 days, as promised in the NREGA; and a strong public-distribution network.

The Left leaders also call for higher allocation for Muslims, whose condition is 8220;most deplorable8217;8217;.

The letter says 8220;It appears that the Planning Commission has proposed an increase in the Gross Budgetary Support for the Eleventh Plan by around 2.5 per cent of GDP only. This implies that either the NCMP mandated schemes would be underfunded or Plan expenditure on other items would be cut in order to fulfill the NCMP commitments, which is unwarranted.8221;

PF problems

Trade unions are now making out a case for a higher interest rate for pension fund deposits. They argue that while banks give 8 per cent interest on three-year deposits, the government ought to give employees a better deal as 8220;the pension fund remains with the government for 40 years and the workers have a right to expect higher return for their deposit.8221;

A People8217;s Democracy report says the unions also opposed the government8217;s proposal to raise workers8217; contribution to the pension fund from the existing 8.33 to 10.33 per cent.

The unions blamed the government8217;s own policies for eroding the base of the provident fund organisation. The high withdrawals, which the government said was a reason for the depleting base, could be attributed to voluntary retirement schemes, both in public and private sector organisations.

Lyngdoh is right

Left parties, keen to widen their base in university campuses through their student organisations, have reason to be enthused by the J.M. Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on student union elections. The Supreme Court had recently said in an interim order that the recommendations be implemented for student union elections. K.K. Ragesh, a prominent SFI leader, writes in People8217;s Democracy that the Lyngdoh Committee had stated that the ban on political activities of students would be an infringement of the fundamental right to form associations, and of freedom of speech and expression. Ragesh praises the report for preparing the basis for a democratic students movement, suggesting a more organised way of holding elections to student bodies, suggesting four models for conducting the elections.

He says: 8220;The Lyngdoh committee recommendations will become a well-built weapon of the progressive student movement8230; It is also absolutely a setback for all the reactionary forces that try to eliminate the progressive ideology from the campuses.8221;

Compiled by Ananda Majumdar