Opinion Interim budget

The lead editorial in the latest issue of CPI(M) mouthpiece People’s Democracy criticises the interim budget presented by the UPA government and stresses the need for a “political alternative” to affect a shift in policy direction. “The interim budget presented by the UPA government,once again,highlights the urgent need for an alternative policy trajectory for the country. This is all the more necessary if the livelihood of the people needs to be protected,leave alone improved,given the worsening global capitalist economic recession. This underscores the need for the Indian people to bring into existence a political alternative that can undertake such a decisive shift in the country’s policy trajectory. This,therefore,remains the central task in the coming general elections.” It goes on to castigate the government for being in a “state of total denial” about the gravity of the impact of the global recession on India and not taking effective measures like increasing public expenditure to protect the common man. “The fact remains that,according to the budget figures last year,less was spent than what was allocated. So is the case with the social services sector. Not only have allocations not been fully spent,but it is a matter of serious concern that the allocations for the coming fiscal in crucial areas is lower than what is being spent this year. Rural employment sees a reduction of Rupees 6650 crore,rural development Rupees 5176.59 crore,urban development (notwithstanding the JNNURM) Rupees 1734.95 crore. In other words,far from envisaging any quantum leap in public expenditure,we see the government continue to remain trapped in the neo-liberal framework of fiscal fundamentalism.” The editorial criticises the Centre for reducing the allocation of foodgrains to states despite record production and goes on to allege that the government was stocking these foodgrains by paying a very heavy carrying cost and underlines that it would contribute to the “burgeoning fiscal deficit” and goes on to give a call for ousting this “neo-liberal mindset”. “It is this neo-liberal mindset of fiscal fundamentalism that needs to be jettisoned and a courageous ‘new deal’ of massive public investments must be undertaken. These are times for Keynesian fundamentalism.”

Comrade Chavez

In an article tilted,‘Venezuela: One Decade and a Yes for More’,the party rejoices the victory of President Hugo Chavez in a referendum to amend the Constitution and pave way for the removal of term limits for the election of a person to all the elected posts. “This victory is a result of significant achievements of the ‘Bolivarian revolution’. In 1998,when Chavez won the election,nearly 75 per cent of his countrymen were living in poverty,one in every five children were malnourished,high infant,child,neo-natal mortality rates and huge income differentials were prevalent. A decade after,due to the emphasis on social sector spending and steps to correct the income inequities,Venezuela registered considerable achievements.” The article terms Venezuela as a real battleground of ideas. “It is a theatre where the ‘irreconcilability of class antagonisms’ are getting manifested more sharply. It is also a laboratory where the course for the emancipation of humankind is being experimented. At test is the principle whether the working class can or cannot lay hold of the readymade state machinery and wield it for its own purposes. Also being tested is whether it is a pre-condition for every peoples’ revolution to smash the bureaucratic-military machine.”

Scientific research bill

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An article criticises The Protection and Utilisation of Publicly Funded Intellectual Property Bill 2008,placed before Parliament by Science and Technology Minister Kabil Sibal and says that the Bayh-Dole Act in the US has inspired it. “He is after all a lawyer and therefore is looking to legal solutions for correcting the poor quality of our scientific research. The problem however,lies in the sweeping nature of the bill,which goes far beyond the Bayh-Dole Act that has inspired it. If passed,it would make scientific research the happy hunting ground of lawyers and bureaucrats.”

Compiled by J.P. Yadav