Excerpts from ongoing discussions about Harthal in our E Group

 I am expressing my views on the regressive policies of CPM. I do not expect any shift in their policies. At least, the misery they are meeting out to common man, can not be brushed aside

Mathew P George

I begin with a clipping which came in Times Of India today.

I am not disputing the credentials of CPM. Any political party during its course of existence is bound to do some good things and CPM also has done so. However, I would like to mention the practice followed by CPM over past four decades that have done immense damage to India with special reference to West Bengal and Kerala.  I am mentioning a few.

1)Hindrance to Industrial Growth:

They have sponsored militancy in trade union activism by illegally confining Managers of Industrial organizations and added a new word to dictionary “Gherao” for obtaining illegitimate benefits. Those managers who were not surrendering to their pressure were manhandled. Labour terrorism became order of the day. They opposed redeployment of workmen and forced management to recruit fresh employees. They even forced management to recruit persons from their list. They did not allow automation or technology upgrading, claiming such steps were anti labour. They opposed computerization claiming that it will lead to job loss. They did not allow a healthy work culture and spread the slogan

“Assai  jayai tho mahina paye. Kaj korle tho basi paye”( for coming for duty, salary is our right. For doing work we have to get more). The workers were claiming extra one day wage for every day they work.

With all the above actions of CPM and its Trade Union arm, they made almost all Public Sector Units in West Bengal and Kerala, white elephants and Private Sector Units closed or referred to BIFR. Tripura do not have any industry worth mentioning.

2) Hindrance to Agricultural Growth:

In Kerala, cultivation today has become difficult due to labour issues like militancy or poor availability. During my school days, I remember, we used to buy only few vegetables like cabbage, tomato etc which are not grown in land. Now, it has become common for everybody to buy almost everything from vegetable vendors leaving the land with wild bushes. Due appreciation has to be given to farmers of Kuttanad for sowing and harvesting the paddy bearing the onslaught of the hooligans of CPM, on issues like mechanized farming/ harvesting, NOKU KOOLI (wage  for job done through agencies or equipments other than by CITU cadre) etc over   years  . When the fertile soil of Kerala is left as baron land, is it not outrageous for the LDF government to say that Kerala is a consumer state?  So get rice, milk, vegetable, eggs, chicken, meat from other states to which god did not favour with such friendly conditions.

3) Bankrupt Economic Theory:

Economic reforms officially started in India in 1991.  However, it was late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi who started the reforms even before.

1.      Instructed all CEOs of Central PSUs that no over time can be given.

2.      Central PSUs have to survive of their own.

He must have seen the spectrum of organization survival, when he was a pilot. How many of the CPM leaders have, academic excellence or managerial experience other than carrying a Diary, in their left arm?

I do not think people of India of our age shall forget that it took a humiliating financial crisis, resulting out of an unholy relationship between communal and communist forces to physically made India to ship its gold reserve to London as collateral for an IMF loan. When India was requiring USD5bn for managing daily debts, we had less than USD 5bn in our kitty. Today, India has nearly USD300bn as India’s foreign exchange reserve.

Those who say Left prevented India from Economic disaster are closing their eyes and saying it is dark.  Has any major economic policy been changed from 1992?

 Foreign Banks, Insurance and other FDI companies were and still exist in India.  From 1992 onwards, 26% FDI is allowed. It do not make any difference to the percentage of equity holding, whether an entity holds in its right hand or left hand.   After all, neither Mr. Ratan Tata nor Tata Sons either or collectively own 26% Equity of many of Tata Companies which are public listed. India is not a banana republic.  Every financial institution is covered under Indian laws and not under laws of any other country.

From beginning of FY 2009-10, the inflation in India was negative. CPM prophets had declared that India is going to face the biggest financial crisis which would be worse than the Great Depression of 1930’s.  In Oct 2009, the inflation rose to 1.34% and in Nov 2009, the inflation rose to 4.78%. Then the CPM cats got up from amnesia.  They conveniently forget that the crude oil price had jumped from less than USD40/barrel to over USD75/barrel during their sleep.

4) ASEAN Agreement;

They were predicting that the price of cash crops, rubber, fish etc. of will fall down and farmers of Kerala will have to take suicide path if India signs ASEAN agreement. Now see the prices of cash crops:

                       Pr b4 agremt         Cur.Pr INDIA      Cur.INTN. Pr

Rubber          Rs. 128/KG          Rs.169/Kg            Rs. 180/Kg

Pepper           Rs. 128/ Kg           Rs.154/Kg          

Cardamom price has jumped from Rs. 700/Kg to Rs.1150/Kg in domestic market.

Who will be there to import?

CPM is again conveniently forgetting the hartals and thereby harassment they have meted out to people of Kerala on behalf of ASEAN agreement.

5) Privatizations and Communications;

When I was in West Bengal, I was one of the few to have a P&T phone in our housing colony. People used wait in my house for receiving calls many times. Many times I had to go out in middle of night to inform the people as far as 2-3 kms about the demise of their relatives.  In Calcutta (Kolkota), subscribers used to conduct death anniversary of telephones and were compelled to pay telephone bills of their dead telephone.  If anybody showed impatience, they were asked to surrender the telephone connection, which they got after waiting for many years or got under Taktal scheme after paying hefty amount. CPM had been sponsoring inefficiency in the name of labour protection.  CPM opposed giving License to private operators and formation of BSNL.  After private operators have come, nobody has to wait for telephone connectivity. Today although BSNL has 3G spectrum, few takes it. People are waiting for the private operators to start. BSNL made Rs. 35000 million loss 2009-10.   I do not know how many comrades use BSNL mobile. But they give now only a miss call to their drivers to bring their cars to Gol market.

6) HINDRANCE TO NORMAL LIFE OF COMMON PEOPLE:

During my period of stay in West Bengal, there used to be 4-5 bandh every month. I came to Karnataka in 1995. I am yet to see a Bandh or dislocation of public life here. Yesterday (27-04-2010) also public life was normal.

There had been 19 Government sponsored Bandhs during the present government regime in Kerala.  If I complain, I am afraid that our CPM friends may advice me not to come to Kerala.  I sum up with, that LDF may consider introduction of mass transport system in Kerala similar to the one in Kolkota as in the clipping.

Mathew P George