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CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat feels the upcoming Budget of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will be “pro-foreign capital.” He has urged the Centre to step up public investment, which would help boost domestic demand, instead of concentrating on reducing the fiscal deficit. Excerpts from an interview with Business Line :
The UPA-II’s last Budget will be presented this month. What are your expectations?
The Government’s approach is to cut subsidies for the people and at the same time give concessions to corporates and foreign capital. It’s in this direction that we’ve seen cuts in subsidies for fertilisers, petroleum products and de-control of diesel prices.
As far as the Budget is concerned, what we can make out from the Finance Minister’s statements is that the thrust is on regaining investor confidence. That means the thrust is on corporates and foreign capital.
We have already seen how they have dealt with GAAR. It looks like the UPA Government is giving priority to the needs of private capital investors more than the urgent needs of the people.
There are no signs of any immediate steps to curb price rise, especially food. Instead of concentrating on reducing the fiscal deficit, more public investment, particularly in infrastructure, is needed to boost employment.
The CPI(M) recently announced a series of protests. What issues are you taking up?
We have been conducting a movement for food security. We are collecting five crore signatures from across the country and will submit these to the Prime Minister during the start of the Budget session.
On issues like price rise and privatisation, there is a call by trade unions for a two-day strike. We are supporting the call.
To take our party’s stand on major issues and our alternative policies, we are organising four jathas (large teams) which will criss-cross the country. These jathas will converge into a rally on March 19 in Delhi.
Both Congress and BJP have started preparing for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. What about your party?
The fact that Congress has begun preparations one-and-a-half years before the scheduled time is an indication of its apprehensions and uncertainties.
As far as BJP is concerned, it has been embroiled in difficulties, as we saw in the Nitin Gadkari episode. What I can see is an improved performance by regional parties and non-Congress, non-BJP forces.
For both Congress and BJP, the key issue is broadening their alliance. This is an indication that both the parties are on a weak footing. While the Congress is facing a serious crisis in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP is facing a similar problem in Karnataka.
As far as CPI(M) is concerned, we have made an assessment of the political situation and have asked our state committees to prepare for elections by selection of constituencies.
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