Irony of current discourse is that it totally ignores the basic issues concerning people, says CPI (M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury.
The issues like health, education and employment are pushed to the backseat and serious discussion is being held in the national media on Modi calling Priyanka ‘daughter’ and Priyanka hitting back at him. This titillating discussion is carried as if it is of national relevance, Mr. Yechury said, speaking to The Hindu here after a gate electioneering meeting in favour of party candidate for Gajuwaka Assembly segment Ch. Narsing Rao.
The governments have abdicated their constitutional obligation to provide health, medicare and education facilities to people and are implicitly encouraging their privatisation. By not allowing these subjects to come in the discussion, they are tacitly empowering the corporate sector to take over them, he noted with alarm. In other words, the ruling class is allowing the private sector to focus on profit maximisation with little concern to its social responsibility, he added.
It’s ironical that the UPA delivered on its constitutional obligation like the Right to Education, that too under pressure from the Left, he pointed out.
There is a little difference between the BJP and the Congress on these subjects. It is in this context that there is a need for an alternative policy direction without which one cannot address people’s concerns. The third front has been created with the sole purpose to ensure that people’s rights are protected and that nation’s resources are used for their benefit.
For instance, the government stopped encouraging small savings. The interest earned on post office deposits has been cut, forcing people into the hands of private and unorganised players like chit funds. The small savings formed the main component of capital investment taken up by the government, he explained. Today, these funds are being taken by large corporates for their investment.
