REJECT LIBERALISATION, PRIVATISATION - FDI! What is the right direction for the solution???

The aura created by the ruling class about Manmohan as the most honest man in Indian politics got severely damaged with the revelation of coalgate scam. The evidences in coalgate show how coal blocks were allocated inadvertently and clearly point fingers at Manmohan. Prior to coalgate, a number of scams were coming out in public – the 2G Spectrum, Delhi Airport scam, TATA-Ambani power stations scam, Maharashtra irrigation scam, CWG scam, Adarsh, Lavasa, so on and so forth – all these exposed how strong the nexus between congress & corporate is. Revelation of each and every scam damaged the image of ‘the honest man’ further and further. On the other side, the Times Magazine in the US had criticized Manmohan as ‘underachiever’ for not being bold enough in implementing liberalization measures such as permitting FDI in retail, insurance, PF etc. The rating agencies have also played their part by reducing the rating of Indian economy for hastening the liberalization measures. Finally received a warning from Obama too!

A complicated situation of this kind has been managed by Manmohan with the precision and knack of a seasoned criminal. The tactics can be compared to that of a chain snatcher who would not hesitate even to cut the throat of the woman from who the chain is snatched, to prevent her from making noise. A number of grenades were thrown upon the people one after the other – starting from opening up of FDI in retail, increase in diesel prices, reducing subsidized gas cylinders, sale of stake in public sector companies; this “shock and awe” strategy followed by Manmohan has shown expected results – scams took a back seat in the people’s memory. In one of the meetings of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Manmohan has delivered a heroic (!!!) speech – “If we have to go down, we will go down fighting”. He has shown a similar courage once earlier too – that was during signing of “Indo-US Nuclear agreement” in the year 2008. “We are not worried about the withdrawal of support by left / right communist parties; we are determined about signing the deal” he thundered.

A person who was mocked by BJP as a weak prime minister, and who claimed himself as ‘accidental prime minister’ has become undefeatable stronger in a situation where he is being attacked by a number of accusations from all directions. Media claim that the strength of Manmohan lies in the weakness of other political parties. All parties including BJP are stuck in a deep mess – with a number of scams and party in-fighting; media claim that this is the source of strength of Manmohan government. This is a very simplified and superfluous view. The fact is that both congress and the other parties which claim to be the ‘enemies of congress’ are all ‘stuck’ in the same policy – and this is the source which makes Congress stronger , even in a situation where it does not have a majority of its own. To put it in other words “inability of opposition parties to suggest an alternative policy to that of the neo-liberal policies of Congress” has made Manmohan stronger.

Government was well aware that there would be protests opposing such fanatic neo-liberal attacks. Government was also aware that they would all come to an end soon. Government’s expectation is that when all the announcements are made together, everything would get over with only one bandh; and ‘everything’ got over as expected. DMK, which is part of the government, participated in the bandh; ADMK and TMC, which claim to be opposing FDI actually deployed police forces to defeat the bandh. The TMC which is acting as if it is opposing the FDI had mentioned in 2009 election manifesto that it would welcome FDI. When some media persons pointed this out, Mamta brushed it aside saying that it is a printing mistake. All political parties, without an exception, are embracing LPG while in power; after getting defeated and when sitting as opposition parties, they ‘act’ as if they are opposing it. This wonderful drama of political parties is not new – this has been going on for the past 20-odd years. The sovereign authority gained because of peoples’ vote is being abused for fulfilling the promises given to the Multi-nationals. Then calling this political system as ‘democratic’ is also a printing mistake!!

All political parties from BJP to the Congress are compelled to act and talk against LPG to satisfy their electorate and for their own political mileage. The BJP which has small traders as its base claims that it opposes Walmart. The left and right communist parties which are thriving out of the levies provided by the Unions in PSUs (Public Sector Units) are making big noises against privatization of PSUs. Wherever people, who are impacted by the effects of LPG, come together to stage a protest or demonstration, all political parties would appear there. They would make big speeches opposing ‘everything under the sun’ – right from LPG, US, central government, state government, and would leave from there in search of next platform for making their speech. None of the party cadres would be aware about what their leaders are supporting. Not only that, the ‘heroic verses’ of the leaders will not have any role in even in deciding the next electoral alliance - that is very important. The party which would come to power next is not going to reverse the diesel price hike or withdraw permission given for FDI in retail. It is all about which party is going to pocket the discontent and anger of the people created by the price rise; ‘politics’ is being conducted in such an interesting manner that even the people who are watching it would enjoy. People are so used to it that they have started accepting this as a normal and acceptable practice. Privatization and Liberalization is not just a policy that all the political parties are supporting; it is the base for their own sustenance.

Right from top layer like Pawars, Gatkaris, Vadras to the lowest cadres who are thriving out of the income out of contracts, agencies, real estate dealings – the nexus of capitalist corruption; all are being “gratified” from LPG. In each sq.ft of coal that is dugout, and in each gallon of petroleum sucked out by Ambani – name of constables to IG, district collector, Munsif to the judge of SC, district secretary to the PM are embossed invisibly. These are the people who hold this system. Anyone who says that the LPG policy can be defeated with the help of these people is either insane are they want to make those who are listening insane. LPG is the policy devised by world capitalism and imperialism to overcome the structural difficulties that it is facing and to continue expansion of its policies. Through corruption neoliberal imperialist forces create the smoke screen across the world. We are witnessing that the constitution and policies of our nation are being modified so as to fit the needs of imperialism. It is impossible to change or stop these policies through this existing set of political setup, political parties, and court of law and also from ‘reformation’.

Trying to find a solution by standing inside this system is futile. Solution lies in organizing mass struggles outside this system, in order to hit and demolish this existing neoliberal imperial structure and to establish a New Democratic society.

There are people who argue that this is not possible immediately; they also suggest that we should settle for a workable and opportune solution. NGOs, intellectuals and pseudo-communists are all saying this, but in their own language. They say that there is a better and ‘just’ solution other than capitalism and communism; they act as if they are in a kind of penance to catch hold of ‘that’ elusive solution. Capitalist and imperial alliance produces knowledge production which shapes the ‘common sense’. UPA-II is just another agent of this alliance and willy-nilly introducing FDI, banking bill etc. and the opposition is just like a ‘barking dog’. The present state of Neoliberal attacks on India needs to be understood as surrender of sovereignty, beginning of recolonisation process which can be changed only through a New Democratic revolution.
[ See more Arundhati Roy: Capitalism - A Ghost Story ]