Modi’s Package: India Sold Out! - AICCTU
THE dramatic rhetoric of “Self-Reliant India Campaign” by PM in his latest address to nation, did not even have a single word on miseries and deaths of migrant workers. In the name of Economic Package, the Modi govt. has only gone all out to throw away the economy to Foreign Capital and corporate sharks, continuing more brutally its policies of last six years. The Package is marked by utter, criminal apathy towards the plight of 50 crores of unorganized workers, especially hapless migrant workers, the frontline workers like ASHA, anganvadi and mid-day meal and sanitation workers, vast majority of peasants, agricultural labour and victim masses of lockdown. The most crucial, Health sector in fight against corona pandemic continues to be utterly neglected. At best, the govt. has acted like a Money-lender by giving loans to marginal and small peasants, street vendors, etc., to be returned with interest. While the Modi govt. offers no direct financial support but for offering some alms in the form of rice and dal to migrants, it shamelessly showers lakhs of crores of peoples’ money on corporate houses. The Package does nothing to strengthen the spending power of people to face the continuing recession, rather it burdens the people by shifting the entire load of crisis on them under the garb of lockdown.
The Package offers nothing but for reckless Privatization and Corporatization of public and govt. sector units including the most sensitive ones. It extends unhindered welcome to foreign capital, endangering the sovereignty of the nation. A free hand has been given to loot and plunder the natural resources and assets of the nation and the people, including land, when agriculture is passing through a severe crisis. At the same time, labour rights are being snatched by suspending labour laws, beginning with BJP-ruled states of UP, MP and Gujarat and also by codification of 44 central labour laws.
Clearly, the package is a recipe to build an India of anything but a “Self-Reliant” one and an India reliant on the mercy of Foreign Capital and on brutal exploitation of Indian Labour who are forced into slavery.
The most sensitive sector Defence, which has already been thrown open to 100% FDI along with corporatization of ordnance factories, has now been opened to automatic route and the clearance of 74% FDI (up from 49%) in manufacturing which can, in effect, lead to its takeover by foreign capital. Private firms under PPP model are facilitated in other sensitive sectors like Space and Atomic energy. Railway Production units have already been thrown open for corporatization along with 100% FDI. In Coal sector, which has also been opened for 100% FDI, 50 blocks will be offered immediately and will be pushed towards reckless drive of privatisation. Similarly, all other minerals, including Bauxite, have also been opened for corporate mining. More Oil fields have been opened for private entry taking the total no. to 49 including 8 in Assam. Similarly, electricity, a key public utility service, has been chosen for rampant privatization through Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and privatization of Discoms in union territories to begin with which will further aggravate the sufferings of common, poor people including farmers. Civil Aviation sector including its national carrier Air India and 6 more new airports have been thrown open for privatization. The Corporates who are looting the public money by siphoning off lakhs of crores of bank loans have been given more freedom and concessions by removing penal provisions from Company Act and exclusion of debt default due to pandemic under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
AICCTU strongly condemned the destructive, pro-corporate, pro-foreign capital, anti-worker and anti-national economic package which is a mockery of self-reliance and will lead to destruction and devastation. AICCTU calls upon the entire working class and the toiling masses to rise in protest against these brutal measures and designs of Modi govt. to turn labourers into slaves.
