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VOICE OF ELECTRICITY WORKERS
Editorial -
DEFEAT NDA IN THE COMING PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
The Nation is being galvanized
for the coming general elections to the 14th Lok Sabha. The NDA Govt. after
dissolving the Parliament on 6th February, seven months ahead and started hectic
propaganda blits glorifying its achievements during the period they were in
power. Spending Seven Hundred Crores Rupees of Govt. money which is
unprecedented and unethical.
The `India Shining' advertisements claimed that the economic growth for the year
is 8.1%. This and other claims made were false. Just a few examples will explode
these claims. The 8.1% growth has been worked out before closing the accounts
and were only based on assumptions. Even conceding this if we take the total
five years of the Government in power. The average comes only 5.9% (1998-99 to
2003-04). But during the previous five year that is from 1983-84 to 1997-98 the
average growth was 6.7%. There fore during NDA rule the economy was only
stagnating, and facing slow growth.
Let us see the claim that 8% growth is achieved during this year in production
of food grain. During 2000-01 the production of food grains was 21.1 Crore
tonnes and in 2001-02 it was only 18.3 Crores tonnes. If we add 8% to it, the
production comes to 19.7 Crores tonnes for this year. That shows this years food
production is less by 1.4 Crores tonnes from 2000-01.
The per-capita availability of good grains this year is 151 Kgs. It was 174 Kgs
before the NDA came to power. According to FAO statistics published in 2003 the
number of starving people in India was 19.5 Crores in 95-97 but rose to 21.4
Crores in 1999-2001 during NDA rule. It shows all the claims made above does not
prove its claim of `shining'.
The experience shows that rural and urban unemployment is all time high. The
employment has dwindled seriously by the agrarian policies pursued by the
Government under World Bank dictate. So is the case of Industrial Sector. The
policy of no recruitment down sizing and outsourcing resulted in of losses of
employment in lakhs. The Public Sector too the employment growth is negative due
to closures and lockouts. Besides the policy of privatisation effecting the
total employment potential, the employment growth in private sector too
negligible. In sum the employment growth is very much less than the growth of
population and unemployment is growing fast and reaching dangerous levels. Which
we have witnessed recently in Mumbai and Assam.
The Railways invited applications for 20,000 IVth grate jobs. For which more
than 60 lakhs applied. When interview held in Mumbai the local people under Shiv
Sena obstructed the interview resulted in clashes and Railway had to cancel it.
Another interview took place in Assam too resulted in clashes between the locals
and outsiders resulted in the death of 60 peoples. This is the dangerous result
of unemployment under NDA rule.
The country as a whole is in trouble due to the economic policy being pursued by
the NDA Government. The total privatisation of the public sector including
power. The taking away of hard earned rights of the working class, imposing
restriction of the right to strike etc, are the reason for the National protest
strike on February 24 by the Indian working class. It shows the attitude of the
Government towards the working class.
Above all the National unity is at peril due to the policy of the so called `Hindutva'
being pursued by the RSS led NDA Government. The Gujarat massacre of Muslim
minorities in thousands, the Graham Stains killing in Orissa and the present
anti-Muslim, anti-minority campaign being carried on by Viswa Hindu Parishat,
Bajrang Dal etc. are creating insecurity among the minorities in the country. Is
it also claimed tht they are going to build Ram Temple in Ayodhya if the BJP
gets majority in the coming election. This is a threat to country's unity. The
basic structure of our constitution is also under a question mark. The RSS a
fascist outfit which lead the BJP Government is a danger to the country's
democracy and democratic polity. Therefore it is the duty of our citizens to
defeat the NDA in the coming elections.
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