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BJP’s servility to
foreign interests, has reached such base levels that Yeshwant Sinha, while
presenting the budget, said he was addressing the international audience.
Never before, in these 51 years of so-called independence have such high-level
secret dealings between the Indian and US governments taken place as reflected
in the talks between Jaswant Singh and Strobe Talbott. In just one year,
eight meetings have taken place, shrouded in secrecy, behind the backs of the
entire country. But the fruits of these talks, taking place under the pretext of
India’s nuclear explosion, is to be seen in the total capitulation of the BJP,
not only regarding its readiness to sign the CTBT, but more particularly in the
economic sphere.
For all the mock show
of nationalism whipped up by the BJP on Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin issue and
the Kargil issue, the BJP has proved the most faithful servants of the
imperialists. Whether it is Sonia or Vajpayee or any of the parliamentary clan
all have proved to be faithful agents of foreign capital, betrayers of the
interests of our country and its people. The traitorous policies outlined below
have been supported by all.
The extraordinary
extent of capitulation in just the one month of March in the economic sphere was
coincidentally linked with a rush of top US delegations to India. In end
February ’99 after the eighth round of talks between defeated MP, Jaswant Singh,
and his master Talbott, a joint statement spoke glowingly of a "new broad-based
relationship" moving towards a strategic partnership. Simultaneously,
vice-chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff, General Ralston, conducted secret
discussions with top Indian defence officials. And in end March a high-level US
Congressional delegation conducted detailed discussion (never disclosed) with
top BJP ministers, parliamentarians and the heads of business outfits, like the
CII (Confederation of Indian Industries).
Amidst this hectic
diplomatic activity, the extent of pro-imperialist policy changes in the economy
in just the one month of March ’99 has out-stripped, in its speed, any other
period of the post-liberalisation era. And to facilitate this capitulation,
the Swadeshi-spouting RSS scum diverted attention by raising the bogey of
‘conversions.’ To dupe its mass following away from these capitulationist
policies, Christians were made the scapegoat as the supposed vehicles of Western
influence in the country. The Congress(I) and most regional parties fully backed
the BJP’s economic policies. Many, like the TDP in AP, have themselves sold out
to the IMF/World Bank implementing policies at their dictates. As far as the "
‘Left’ opposition" goes their rhetoric is in no way commensurate with their
practice in the states they run or when they were part of the UF government. If
this outright sell-out of our country is to be reversed it is the people, and
the people alone, who must rise in revolt.
In just the month of
March ’99, starting with the budget itself, there was no sphere of the economy
that has remained untouched by the imperialist foreign hand camouflaged with the
BJP’s gloves. Trade, investment, financial services, telecom, patents,
insurance, export-import, research and development, television viewing, housing,
derivatives (speculation) markets, petroleum deregulation, and facilitating a
host of TNC takeovers of even PSUs..... in all these spheres monstrous policy
changes have been introduced that will allow further domination of the Indian
economy by foreign capital.
Not only this, even
the care taker government, without a mandate, has continued the hectic pace of
sell-out, which will, no doubt, result in the BJP receiving millions of dollars
for its election fund. Of course, the imperialist sharks, never satisfied until
they own the entire country, continuously demand more. It is like the man-eating
tiger, once having tasted blood, demands more and more. The Indian rulers,
having initiated ‘economic reforms’ at imperialist dictates, and caught deeper
and deeper in the web of international finance capital, must continuously
satiate their voracious appetite.
Let us look at what
has taken place in recent months.
The
Budgetary Sell-out
Already in the budget
article (last issue of ‘People’s March’) we have seen how the BJP government has
bowed to IMF dictates ..... to cut the food and fertiliser subsidy, to raise
freight rates, to reduce the deficit, and to grant big concessions to business
that will benefit the TNCs as well. In addition to all those already mentioned
in that article some are specifically geared to assisting foreign capital, even
at the cost of local industry. To take some examples from the budget :
* There has been a
major growth of US agri-business within the country with companies like Cargill,
Monsanto, etc., aggressively pushing their way into Indian agriculture. To
facilitate this the government has in this budget introduced a major plan for
agricultural development, basically geared toward commercial crops. It has also
extended the tax holiday facility for the setting up of cold storages and other
infrastructural development for processing cash crops.
* With the security
achieved over patent rights in the new patent regime, TNC research and
development in the pharmaceutical sector has been facilitated by extending the
125% tax deduction on in-house research from 2000 to 2005.
* The FIPB (Foreign
Investments Promotion Board) has been instructed to clear all foreign proposal
within 30 days.
* We have already
seen the TNC offensive in India, with the large number of take-overs of local
industry. Now, in this budget a most disastrous policy has been introduced which
will facilitate this process even further — tax concessions and other facilities
have been introduced to ease corporate mergers.
Hardly has this been
announced when in mid-March India’s leading financial institution, ICICI,
actually part-financed the take-over of two local companies by TNCs. ICICI
agreed to lend Rs. 210 crores out of a total acquisition cost of Rs. 1100 crores,
to British power major, Powergen’s acquisition for majority control in Gujarat
Torrent Energy Corporation. Also, it will lend around Rs. 200 crores to French
cement major, Lafarge, for part-financing its acquisition of TISCO’s cement
plant of Rs. 550 crores.
Worse still, in
end-March, two key public sector companies are all set to be handed over to TNC
control. Warburg Dillon Read, a leading European Investment banker, has bagged
the mandate for the core group on disinvestment for the strategic sale of 25%
equity in IPCL (Indian Petrochemicals Corporation). In addition, the government
approved a complete take-over of the public sector IBP Ltd by US Oil major,
Caltex. In 1993 Caltex had formed a joint venture with IBP Ltd — now Caltex will
take-over the IBP Ltd’s 49% stake.
* The list of
industries for automatic approval for FDIs has been expanded.
* Disinvestment of
PSUs have been planned to the extent of Rs. 10,000 crores a large part of which
will be taken over by foreign capital.
* In a bid to tie the
PSUs further to the chains of imperialism, this budget has stated that in
1999-2000, external borrowings by PSUs will go up by 25% to Rs. 5,446 crores.
* In order to promote
FDIs in the chemicals, pharmaceuticals and fertiliser sector the government
decided to permit 74% equity under the automatic route.
* Big reductions in
import duties have been given for the information technology sector — on ICs and
microassemblies, storage devices and CD Roms, telecom equipment and optical
fibres.
Now let us turn to
the post-budgetary policy changes.
The
New Patent Regime
Openly bowing to US
pressures, the Indian Patent Act (IPA), 1970, was amended as per WTO
stipulations. The process for this capitulation has been long drawn-out and has
involved all the major parties. As the sell-out would have a disastrous impact
on the country, it required a concerted effort of all parties to get it passed
against the wishes of the people of the country. After witnessing the patenting
of Basmati, neem, 22 medicinal plants and 90 bio-tech plants by US companies,
people’s anger at the government sell out, is all the more.
The process for this
capitulation was started by the Congress(I) who introduced a patent amendment
bill in 1995 itself. The Bill fell through in both houses of parliament as the
BJP then voted against it. In September 1997, in a bid to hastily push through a
patent amendment bill, the Deve Gowda government set up an ‘expert group on
intellectual property rights’ coordinated by the PMO (prime minister’s office)
itself. The reason for the BJP’s earlier opposition and the UF’s desperate
attempts was because of the vociferous opposition to the WTO stipulation by not
only the people but even a section of the industrialists.
Finally, the BJP
coalition, ignoring even their earlier opposition, passed this amendment. As a
consequence of this, India will have to provide exclusive marketing rights for
products, which may not even be patentable inventions under the IPA. The
amendment adopted requires the government to introduce a mailbox facility for
the acceptance of patent applications to be received for new pharmaceutical and
agro-chemical products from 1995 onwards and to allow for these products
Exclusive Marketing Rights (EMRs) of distribution for five years. This provision
will remain in force till 2005 when the government would also have to start
granting product patent rights. The EMRs would be granted to companies merely on
the condition that already at least in one convention country the patent has
been granted for the concerned product. Acceptance of EMR provisions does not
require the examination of patent applications for the enforcement of the
criteria of patentability provided under the IPA, 1970. In fact, government
control ceases to exist, and the product which is granted EMR rights will have a
monopoly and can charge exorbitant prices. Besides, the TRIPs agreement
abolishes obligations of the patentees to disclose the inventions through their
introduction via local manufacture into the national productive systems. It
treats importation as equivalent to the working of patents. It denies the
national government the right to use licensing mechanisms for the introduction
of market competition. What is even worse, in the case of disputes the TRIPs
agreement does not clearly define the legal standards which will govern
settlements. It means fighting the patent right in the other country according
to their laws. This involves the erosion of even what limited sovereignty of
governments exist, since any government seeking redressal in the court of a
different country will, by implication, accept the sovereignty of that country
on a disputed patent. The recent US Trade Annual Report has openly stated that a
change in the Indian patent regime will mean a yearly gain to its pharmaceutical
industries of $500 million (Rs. 2,000 crores). There will be a similar gain for
their agro-chemical industries.
Such are the
stipulations of the WTO which India will now have to abide by. So much for the
swadeshi spouting nationalists. But what is even more criminal and traitorous
is that in the BJP’s final Patent Bill they did not even introduce certain
safeguards allowed by the TRIPs. In this the BJP even went against its own
Law Commission report, which called for certain changes in the new bill.
The Commission had
presented its report on February 28, ’99 suggesting five changes. This was not
only ignored by the BJP, the Commission report was not even tabled in
parliament. Of the five, two points, it says, directly infringe even further on
the limited sovereignty of the country, and could even have been amended as per
the TRIPs agreement. For example, the report says that Article 27 of the TRIPs
entitles the member-states to provide certain exemptions — those have not been
included in the new Bill. The Commission states that "the said omission impinges
seriously on our national interest." The Commission also states that the Bill
has not even taken advantage of provisions available in TRIPs to exclude
patentability in certain areas. Such then, is the treachery of the BJP.
The
Insurance Regulatory Authority
Opening up this
sector has been on the top of the agenda of the powerful foreign financial
institutions. This highly lucrative sector gives access to the imperialists
of the vast savings of the Indian people. Opening this sector to foreign capital
virtually allows people’s savings to be hijacked by the imperialists. The
BJP in their manifesto said they opposed the opening out of this sector to
foreign capital. The Congress(I) and UF tried, but retracted in the face of
opposition. Finally, the BJP has pushed it through, with full support from the
Congress(I).
The vast sums
involved can well be understood by the fact that the total investible funds of
the LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) is almost 8% of India’s GDP. Besides ‘Life’
there are other insurances like ‘General’, health, car, etc etc. Of the total
savings in India (which amounted to Rs. 3,33,800 crores in 1996/97) LIC’s share
has increased from 10% in 1980/81 to 14% in 1995/96. LIC’s investible funds has
increased from Rs. 410 crores ($100 million) in 1956/57 to Rs. 1,05,833 crores
($25 billion) in 1997/98. And profits on investments has increased from 4.5% to
12.3%. It is this huge wealth and large returns that the imperialists are greedy
to grab. The recently released US trade reports says the opening out of
insurance in India will benefit US industry to the extent of $25 million (Rs.
100 crores) in premium revenue each year.
The opening up of
insurance is part of a highly dangerous WTO treaty to liberalise global trade in
financial services. This humiliating treaty was signed by the caretaker
Gujral government in December 1997 and was to come into force from March 1999.
The worldwide banking and financial services market is believed to be worth $22
trillion a year and the US has been resorting to much global arm-twisting to get
the agreement signed. Yet, this was signed by only 70 countries. Here too,
the then UF government (with the CPI/CPM in tail) in total servility to the US,
not only signed this treaty but also a bilateral agreement of liberalisation of
financial services that went even beyond that signed by countries like Thailand,
Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil.
Initially the BJP
government announced in the last budget that insurance would be opened up to the
Indian private sector (without stating foreign participation). Yet it did not
say that even foreign companies registered in India are counted as Indian
companies. Then in December 1998 it introduced a bill allowing 40% to foreign
capital. This was a mere ruse to allow the ‘Swadeshi’ lobby to make some noise
and thereby reduce the foreign equity to 26% — which was what the foreign
investors had anyway demanded. A 26% stake would give them the power to block
any resolution in the board and therefore ability to run an insurance venture in
partnership with an ‘Indian’ company. Having accepted 26% in a cabinet meeting
on March 16, in end-March it has surreptitously introduced a new clause which
will again allow greater foreign equity. Now comes the announcement that
investments by multilateral financial institutions like the Asian Development
Bank, International Finance Corporation, etc, would be excluded while
calculating the foreign equity cap for such ventures under the law.
Such are the devious
methods of the BJP. A two-faced monster — swadeshi for the people, videshi for
the imperialists.
New
Export-Import Policy
The revised EXIM
(export-import) policy 1997-2002, introduced by the Commerce ministry on March
31, ’99 was the worst example of the extent to which the BJP government is
prepared to go in selling out the country’s interests. The massive opening up of
imports goes even beyond the demands of the WTO. And the doles to exporters
which were already high last year, have increased phenomenally. This de facto
subsidy of hundreds of crores of rupees (the total estimates are hidden and not
presented to the public) comes at the time when the government is ruthlessly
cutting food, fertiliser and social welfare subsidies. Let us look at imports
first.
Each country
restricts imports on certain commodities in order to protect its local
production. Backward countries particularly need this because of the unequal
terms of trade that exists, and due to the aggressive marketing of the TNCs and
the dumping of their out-dated technology and goods in third world countries.
The WTO has demanded that all countries remove these quantitative restrictions
by the year 2003. The BJP swadeshi-screamers have obliged nearly four years in
advance. In the present EXIM policy the government removed 75% of the items on
the restricted list, leaving barely 667 items. The list of items removed from
the list, stretch from vegetables to fruits, to oil-cakes, to chilly-powder etc.
What remains now on the restricted list are mostly mundane items, which will
most probably be removed in the coming year. This process of liberalising
imports was started by the Congress(I) and UF, but has taken a quantum leap with
the BJP in power. In the present policy as many as 1,308 products have been
removed from the restricted list, of which 894 are for free imports (i.e. OGL-
Open General Licence) and 414 in the SIL (Special Import Licence) category.
Such servility is
particularly nauseating when one finds that both the US and EU are continuously
putting ‘anti-dumping’ duties on goods imported from India. On the very day
the EXIM policy was announced the EU imposed ‘anti-dumping’ duties on stainless
steel wires from India of a huge 56%. And again in early April the WTO once
again ruled against India on the issue of quantitative restrictions.
But this is not all,
much worse is to follow. The government spends crores each day, fighting over a
barren patch of land on the Siachin Glacier, but has now handed over truly key
industrial belts to the imperialists and their agents. The new EXIM policy says
that all Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in the country will be converted into
Free Trade Zones (FTZs) on July 1, ’99. Modelled along the lines of the export
zones of the UAE, these zones will dispense with customs regulations, and, as
the Financial Express states (April 1, ’99) "treatment of EPZs as outside the
country’s territory, have a major bearing on the EXIM policy." Hegde further
announced that the usual labour laws would not apply in the FTZs, and units in
these zones will be exempt from payment of even corporation tax for a full ten
years. In other words, this is de facto foreign territory, set up within
India, to exploit our cheap labour and utilise the infrastructure set up at
government cost (i.e. tax payer’s money) with little or no returns to the
country.
When we turn to the
export side, we find that, in the name of export promotion, huge subsidies and
grants have been given. Already, most exports are free from income tax, a large
number have no excise duty on them, and in fact many items get huge cash
subsidies varying from 10% to 20% on the price-value. At a rough calculation
this alone came to a gigantic subsidy of Rs. 20,000 to 25,000 crores on exports
of Rs. 1,40,000 crores in 1998/99. The present EXIM policy has now widened the
zero-duty scheme for the promotion of capital goods exports; doubled the
pre-export credit entitlement from 5% to 10%; a vast list of incentives have
been provided for service sector exports; a Rs. 500 crore GRANT is to be
provided to the states for strengthening the export infrastructure; an added Rs.
500 crores is to be spent on promoting Indian goods abroad (last year the amount
was Rs. 120 crores) — a four-fold increase; to promote exports to Russia, the
value addition norm has been reduced from 100% to 33%; Service Export Houses are
being set up for ‘star performers’ giving them special facilities; green cards
will be given to those exporting 50% of their production entitling them to many
added facilities and subsidies; the admissible limit of samples to promote
exports has been considerably increased (giving exporters a mechanism to further
avoid duties by marketing samples as ‘not for sale’); Export Oriented Units (EOUs)
relating to agriculture/horticulture etc. have been allowed to install
equipments/inputs in the farmer’s field, outside the EOU,.... and numerous more
such concessions. If the total of all these grants, subsidies, incentives,
cuts in duties, credit facilities, free trade zones, etc. to exporters are to be
calculated it will come to not less than Rs. 5,000 crores. Such is the
additional gifts to exporters through the new EXIM policy, by a government
desperately seeking to cut food subsidies and social welfare schemes.
All-Round Sell-Out
But the extent of
government renegacy does not end here. The story of traitorous betrayal goes on
.... and all within a month of the Singh-Talbott’s eighth round of talks !!
To boost the profits
of the Telecom sector, dominated by foreign players, the government has
introduced a series of changes. Through the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India) it has hiked up the telephone rates and rentals; a new telecom policy
has done away with state monopoly on long distance (STD) calls; and it has
announced a new telecom policy whereby it changes the license fee mechanisms to
the advantage of the telecom operators.
TNC companies are set
to reap a bonanza according to the Business Standard (29-3-99) with the finance
ministry deciding to allow small-scale units located in rural areas and
manufacturing branded products to have collaborations with companies that own
and market the brand. Output upto Rs. 50 lakhs will be totally free from excise
duty while above Rs. 50 lakh will attract excise duty at only 50%. The scheme
will be effective from 1st June ’99.
Opening out the
country to the mercies of international speculators the government is fast
removing restrictions on Derivative trading (i.e. speculation in ‘future’,
‘options’, ‘swaps’, etc) on the Indian Stock Exchanges. Close on the heels of
permitting ‘futures’ trading in eight edible oil seeds the government proposes
to allow ‘options’ trading in goods. To facilitate the process it plans to amend
the Forward Contracts (regulation) Act, 1952. The Calcutta Stock Exchange has
already been opened for Derivatives trading ... the other stock exchanges are
following suit.
Giving into pressure
from the foreign TV channels, of the Rupert Murdoch/Star TV variety, the
government has announced two much awaited ‘reforms’. First, it plans to announce
soon the right for DTH (Direct-to-Home) TV channels. Second, the government has
already decided to further liberalise the uplinking regime for Indian TV
companies (that is also "Indian managed foreign TV companies"). From August 1,
’99 they will be allowed to uplink from India directly instead of having to go
through VSNL.
Next, bowing to the
dictates of the powerful international petroleum industry, the government has
announced its intention to deregulate the Indian petroleum sector. In a phased
manner, over the next three years it plans to set up three petroleum and gas
Regulatory Authorities that will oversee the entire process. Besides
deregulation, the cabinet has already put forward an elaborate plan of
restructuring the petrol refining industry handing over (indirectly) this sector
to control by TNCs. With IBP already in the hands of Caltex, it plans a
‘strategic partnership’ between IBP and BPCL and then merging a large number of
smaller units (eg. Cochin Refineries, Madras Refineries etc) into BPCL. Though
this has been opposed even by the oil industries themselves, the petroleum
ministry is hastily seeking to push it through.
In another act of
treachery, the government has allowed Enron to import its huge LNG (gas)
requirements on foreign ships and not on ships owned by the Shipping Corporation
of India. The NUSI (National Union of Seafarers of India) has opposed this and
has threatened to stop loading/unloading operations at the ports.
The government has
planned to sell its 50% stake in Maruti Udyog Ltd to the Japanese (Suzuki) at
throw-away prices.
The urban and housing
ministry announced that it plans to open out the housing sector to 100% foreign
equity.
Finally, in a further
blow to local industry the government announced that it is working on a scheme
on relaxing FDI (foreign direct investment) guidelines which make it mandatory
for foreign companies to seek no objection certificates (NOCs) from their
existing partners in India, if they want to set up a new venture in the same
product category. Under the proposed changes the NOC stipulation will be relaxed
for foreign technical partners with Indian companies if such tie-ups are on a
non-exchange basis. The stipulation on seeking NOCs from Indian partners will
also be relaxed for foreign companies operating in the infrastructure sectors,
including power, telecom and roads. In other words the process of TNC’s first
joining with Indian collaborators and later kicking them out is being
facilitated by the swadeshi government !!
And in spite of all
this sell-out, the noise earlier made by the so-called Bombay Club and
Associations of Industry and Finance (CII, Assocham, FICCI) have all fallen
silent. No longer is there any talk of ‘level-playing fields’, ‘cowboy
culture’, ‘protection’ etc. True to their comprador character, they will
continue in collaboration with foreign capital as long as possible; later, they
will be satisfied as their managers within the country. A golden handshake and a
status of manager (from that of past-owner/director) of foreign capital, is
enough to get their cooperation and assistance to loot our country. Now, not a
word is said when import tariffs are reduced. When the government reduced the
import duty on sugar to 5% (compared to 300% in the EU,. 173% in Mexico, 104% in
Thailand, 45% in Pakistan) and a flood of imports threatens the lives of
millions of sugarcane farmers.... all are silent.
Caretaker Government Continues Sell-out
In a hasty decision,
in order to further tighten the imperialist noose around the Indian economy the
BJP has appointed two senior-most bureaucrats to the boards of the multilateral
institutions. This indicates the close nexus that exists between the top
echelons of India’s bureaucracy and the imperialists. The Union Finance
Secretary, Vijay Kelkar, is to be the new Executive Director on the board of the
IMF. And the powerful ex-Home secretary (at present Union Health Secretary) B.P.
Singh, is to be the next Executive Director on the board of the World Bank,
representing India and some neighbouring countries. These decisions were taken
after a high-level IMF team, of eight Executive Directors, visited this country
meeting top officials and senior ministers. Ths same B.P. Singh was the man who
took inordinate interest in organising and coordinating police and Home
Department officials of the four states against the CPI (ML) [People’s War]. It
was also this same man who, after the Ranvir Sena butcheries, allocated a
further Rs. 500 crores towards anti-insurgency operations in Bihar ! This chief
executioner and imperialist stooge, will now act as direct agent of the
US-dominated World Bank to oversee imperialist economic policies within India.
Apart from this
important decision, which will have long-term bearings on Indian policy matter,
the caretaker BJP coalition government took a number of decisions, continuing
its policy of sell-out.
A draft textile
policy has been put forward in line with the imperialist-dictated Multi-Fibre
Agreement (MFA). Also a plan (as per IMF dictates) has been put forward for
closing down 70 of the 119 NTC (National Textile Corporation) loss-making mills
that will displace lakhs of workers.
It has decided to
export one million tonnes of wheat and 25,000 tonnes of sugar. This is over and
above the 30.000 tonnes of sugar already being exported. Surprisingly, the
government continued to allow the import of sugar. Instead of allowing the
Indian people to consume more wheat, sugar, etc., by allowing prices to drop,
the government will maintain the high prices at the behest of the traders,
through these exports.
The Finance Minister
is rushing through revised norms in the power sector to satisfy some
long-standing demands of the World Bank. These included streamlining the sale of
power to the State Electricity Boards (SEB) that will force states to raise
power tariffs still further, and the progressive privatisation of power
distribution.
Finally, it has given
the green signal for major take-overs by TNCs of Indian industry. Some of these
are : to give away India’s four major airports on long-term lease to the
corporate sector resulting in their defacto control by TNCs; allowing Toyota to
increase its stake in the joint venture with Kirloskar from 74% to 87%; allowing
Enron to expand its area of activities to oil exploration and setting up
infrastructure for petroleum products; allowing the US-company Eaton Corporation
to set-up a subsidiary for automotive components which will kill a large number
of small-scale industries in this sector; etc., etc.
While making a hue
and cry about supposed infiltration by Pakistan, the BJP, with tacit concert
from all the parliamentary opposition, is quietly selling our country. Pakistan,
however aggressive, can never colonise India; while the imperialists are
increasing their neo-colonial grip over the life of our country. Who then, is
the real and more dangerous enemy ?
Who
Will Fight the Traitors ?
If such policies are
allowed to continue : not only will the country be totally ruined, not only will
the masses be severely impoverished, not only will all employment opportunities
dry up, not only will all indigenous industry (except ancillaries of TNCs) be
crushed, not only will the peasantry be impoverished further by the domination
of agri-business and the anarchy of the market.... but, what even limited
sovereignty exists, will disappear. The imperialists in their spiked Hitlerite
boots will trample over the people of this country, assisted and abetted by
their local collaborators.
If they are to be
stopped, the process must begin now, by all freedom-loving and democratic
sections uniting into a powerful torrent and fighting these policies tooth and
nail. They must give up the illusions about the parliamentary parties who in
fact are the major collaborators of the imperialists, putting up no opposition
whatsoever. They should organise themselves into a powerful force to hit
effective blows at these traitors. The Congress(I) and all the ‘opposition’ have
supported the bulk of these BJP policies. Some, like the revisionists, only make
the necessary correct noises. All are tainted with the same collaborationist
brush. These quislings should be punished for their crimes against the country;
their ill-gotten wealth confiscated and publicly flogged. It is only a mass
upsurge by the people against the TNCs and their ‘Indian’ collaborators that can
reverse these policies and achieve genuine freedom for our country and its
people. Free from these leeches, the Indian economy can only then grow and
flourish.
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