The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has described 2010 as a landmark year in Independent India's history in terms of the number of scams. In an editorial in the People's Democracy , party organ, it drew attention to the several disquieting trends that have emerged as a result.
The year stood out as one which saw a serious attack on Parliament and the institutions of parliamentary democracy. Apart from the virtual annulling of the winter session, the functioning of the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Central Vigilance Commission etc. had also come under a cloud.
Terming the increase in prices of all essential commodities another scam, the CPI(M) said this was taking place at the expense of people's livelihood.
Together with the scams in 2G spectrum, illegal mining, land allocations, IPL cricket tournament, the Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing Society, the rise in prices due to speculative trading meant that money was allowed to be siphoned off.
It should have been better spent on social sector schemes. That would have positively contributed to enhancing the livelihood levels of the common man or the “aam aadmi,” said the editorial.
The CPI(M) called for a set of new regulations and, if necessary, laws to ensure that such massive manipulation in the system that permitted loot was prevented.
“This would be the central agenda of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Recollect that it was only after the JPC recommendations on the Harshad Mehta stock market scam that regulations strengthening our financial sector operations were brought into effect,'' it said.
The editorial felt that things would have been different had the Prime Minister announced before the end of the winter session that he had nothing to hide and was willing to face the Public Accounts Committee.
All these developments had only strengthened the direction of the drift of the UPA-II government further. This, in turn, was feeding speculation of political uncertainty in the year to come.
“Our experience this year shows that if a government has to function effectively, it is not only a question of numbers for a majority in the Lok Sabha; to a far greater extent, it is the question of a clear agenda based on a vision of improving the quality of life of our people and, thus, creating a better India. On this score, this government is found to be singularly wanting despite the fact that it has been rubbing shoulders at the “high table” with the G-20 or despite the propaganda associated with having the leaders of all P-5 countries paying state visits to India,'' observed the editorial.
