Not seeking to blame any individual or political party for the attack he came under on Thursday in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday viewed it as another instance of the attempts being made of late in disrespect of Parliamentary institutions. He cautioned that the trend could, over time, lead to anarchy.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Pawar refused to be drawn into answering questions on social activist Anna Hazare's movement, which repudiated democratic institutions and elected representatives, and said there was anger about price rise and other issues.
There were, he said, forums for discussion such as the Parliament, and these should be used to air any grievances. However, he lamented that of late, things were not going well, the last Parliamentary session being disrupted and this time too, little business having been transacted.
Procedural resolution
Indirectly targeting Mr. Hazare's movement, Mr. Pawar said: “Institutions are being attacked and if we keep at it, we are going towards anarchy. We must be alert about damage to democratic institutions and issues must be resolved through a well set up process.”
He said people had a right to raise their voice in a democracy but it must not be at the cost of its institutions.
Commends support
He commended the people and leaders of Maharashtra for standing together and supporting him after he was attacked. He said in Parliament too, the discussions were aimed at the resolution of problems through peaceful means.
He said the economy had been good in the United Progressive Alliance's last tenure. In the last two or three years, however, the situation had become serious, amid skyrocketing oil prices and international problems, which had serious repercussions for common citizens. “I can understand anger from the common citizens,” he said. However, he was confident that the Prime Minister would find solutions to the problem.
Need for introspection
Mr. Pawar called upon political parties to introspect seriously about their performance and if their approach has been coherent.
He said that at this stage, “we cannot afford instability in this country”.
Mr. Pawar, a member of the Union Cabinet, came out in favour of FDI in retail, saying the decision was discussed before being announced. Observing that the decision would not impact the retail scene, he said it enabled products to be directly sold to shops, eliminating middlemen and benefiting consumers and producers alike. In any case, he said, it was up to the government to issue licences and there was nothing binding.
On whether he would seek enhanced personal security, Mr. Pawar said the Home ministry would take a decision.
