UPA widening gap between rich and poor, says CPM

Questioning the UPA Government’s policy of inclusive growth, as emphasised by President Pratibha Patil...

Questioning the UPA Government’s policy of inclusive growth, as emphasised by President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint sitting of the Parliament on Monday, the CPI(M) said the Government was creating “two Indias” — ‘India Shining’ and ‘India Suffering’. The Left criticised the President’s address for missing out on issues such as price rise and women’s reservation.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said, “The Government’s policies seem to be giving birth to two Indias — one is ‘India Shining’ and the other is ‘India Suffering’. The Government’s policies have only widened the disparity between

the rich and the poor. The ‘suffering’ India resides in rural areas where farmers continue to commit suicide.” He said the Government should give them access to institutional credit and interest rate on farm loans should be fixed at 4 per cent.

Yechury said the current session of the Parliament has an ordinance for permitting FDI in futures market. “If this is allowed, India’s position will become vulnerable in the international foodgrains market,” he said, adding that the international price of foodgrains has gone up by 70 per cent.

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Yechury also criticised the President’s remark that the Indian economy is not insulated by the US economy. “The rupee appreciation is a result of the depreciating US dollar. Due to this, 60,000 people have lost their jobs in Tirupur in the hosiery segment and 55,000 people, working in the leather handicraft segment, have lost work in West Bengal,” he said. These developments will weaken India’s market share in the international arena, he claimed.

Asked about CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu’s desire to quit the Politburo, he said there will be a “collective decision” on it. “He is the only CM to have voluntarily stepped down,” said Yechury.