Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council NAC members Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander on Thursday asked Montek Singh Ahluwalia to either withdraw the Planning Commissions affidavit on the new poverty line norms from the Supreme Court or quit as panels Deputy Chairman.
The NAC members,in an open letter to Ahluwalia,also equated the new Below Poverty Line norms that if a persons spending exceeds Rs 32 a day in an urban area or a villager purchases goods worth more than Rs 26,then he cannot be counted as poor to the NDAs India Shining campaign of 2004.
Cautioning the Planning Commission against the potential repercussions of the affidavit,the letter also reminds that the BJP-led NDA bit the dust in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections due to its India Shining campaign.
We believe this affidavit is a document,no less historically significant than the India Shining campaign that brought the downfall of a previous regime,because it reflected arrogance and contempt for the poor comparable to the views held by the Planning Commission, the steering group,which has been on the forefront demanding almost uniform universal legal food entitlements under the proposed national food security law,states.
The letter,released to the media on Thursday,also assumes significance as it makes personal attacks against Ahluwalia,a close confidante of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Mr Ahluwalia,perhaps you need to reflect more on the fact that during your stewardship of the Planning Commission,India has fallen behind neighbouring and poorer in terms of per capita income Bangladesh,in terms of most of the human development indicators, the letter says.
