Opinion Armed by America

“These sales,while not monster-sized in themselves,also pave the way for future and potentially much larger sales of US helicopters and weapons,especially missile systems,to India,” the article says.

“There are strong indications that this deal is a precursor to India acquiring other US-made helicopters in an estimated requirement of 700 helicopters over the next decade,as well as a whole range of helicopter-borne missiles and other weapons systems,as also other missiles and weapons from these manufacturers,thus prising open a much larger chunk of the Indian military acquisition market and establishing a solid US presence in India,” the article says.

It claims that the burgeoning US-India strategic relationship and the consequent US push into the Indian military market has been viewed with rising alarm by rival and older India suppliers like Britain,France and Russia.

“Right now,US military suppliers have the wind behind them. The question is whether India will play a fair game,with a level playing field. Even in the Apache deal,a suspicion about this remains. How come that,even though the order is worth over Rs 3000 crore,there has been no mention of offsets? Is an exception being made?” it asks.

Caste and credit

Another article in People’s Democracy focuses on government apathy towards scheduled castes,scheduled tribes and other backward classes,in the context of the “failure” to fill up vacancies earmarked for these sections,despite the special recruitment drive launched in 2008.

It says that the government itself has admitted that success rate in filling the backlog posts has been less than 30 per cent. “Of a total backlog of 76,137 vacancies in various ministries,departments and public sector enterprises,the government could fill up just 26,472 in an exercise spread over three years,” it says.

Another instance of the UPA’s apathy towards Dalits is reflected in the fact that credit disbursements to Dalit entrepreneurs has dropped by 33.8 per cent this fiscal. “The disbursement of credit to dalit entrepreneurs through 20-odd schemes run by the ministry of social justice has dropped to Rs 1,670 crore between April and October this financial year… When this is the case with the ministry of social justice itself,then what can one expect from the banks,” it asks.

“When credit problems still continue to haunt Dalit entrepreneurs,even more so than other businessmen,when disbursement from many schemes — crafted intentionally to provide credit to Dalit businessmen — is slowing down,how does the government expect the Dalits to make use of its scheme that mandates 4 per cent of all the government procurements from Dalit and tribal vendors…the fledgling attempts by hundreds of Dalit entrepreneurs to overcome deep socio-economic barriers and break into mainstream business are facing a threat due to the UPA government’s unwillingness t provide adequate credit,” it says.

Farming crisis

CPI weekly New Age focuses on agrarian distress and farmers’ suicides. It argues that the anti-farmer attitude of the successive governments has led to a decline in public funding.

“The farmers are caught in (a) pair of scissors,with rising costs of inputs and unremunerative prices of agriculture products. It has been revealed that 40 per cent of cultivators want to leave agriculture and 3.5 per cent of agriculturists join the rank of labour per annum,” the editorial says.

It blames neoliberal policy for this situation,saying that banking credit to agriculture has come down and private lending has gone up. And instead of taking corrective measures,the UPA government is encouraging a new Mahajani credit system by introducing “accredited loan providers” who charge exorbitant rates of interests. “While in the West the subsidies to agriculturists are on rise,in our country,even the minimal subsidies are being curtailed. Subsidies on inputs have been cut drastically. Caught in the web of loans and non-profit-making endeavours,farmers take to the unfortunate path of suicide,” it says.

The editorial says that farmers are increasingly shifting to cash crops,shrinking the cultivated areas for foodgrain and creating a food security threat. Besides,state governments acquired agricultural land to set up SEZs and other public utilities,but in fact,handed the land over to builder mafias,it says.

Compiled by Manoj C.G.