Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat fired a salvo at the Trinamool Congress here on Sunday asking if the Left could stall Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, when they were providing outside support to the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, why did the Trinamool fail to do so despite being the ruling coalition’s second largest constituent.
“If we could stop it for four years, why couldn’t the Trinamool Congress, whose representative is there in the Cabinet… they are there in the ministries, they are there in the CCPA [Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, which took the decision on diesel price hike]? Why didn’t they stop it then?” Mr. Karat asked journalists, to queries on Trinamool’s decision to oppose the government measure now.
Asked about Trinamool’s claims that the party was not informed about the Centre’s decision, Mr. Karat said that he failed to understand how anyone in Kolkata did not know that the Cabinet meeting was being held.
That the diesel price hike was on the agenda of the CCPA was known to the public, he said, pointing out that Union Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy had made a statement saying that he may have to take a painful decision.
“I do not understand how such major decisions are taken and how the collective responsibility of the Cabinet is discharged,” Mr. Karat said.
He said that when the Left provided support to the UPA government “the government couldn’t move on FDI in retail” because the Congress could not take its support for granted. “We managed to stop it,” he said.
“I cannot understand how a party that is in the Cabinet which takes such a decision is unable to stop it.”
If CPI(M) was able to stall FDI it was because left parties had 60 MPs
and Congress had 145. Today's opposition of Mamta rests on TMC's 19 MPs
and Congress has 208. Plus can CPI(M) answer why they brought in SEZ Act
is Bengal in 2003 itself when UPA brought it in 2005. Will CPI(M) accept
that they themselves were anti-poor even before UPA could?
Karat stalled FDI, and his party got kicked out of both states. Mamta knows that opposing FDI is a silly thing
Thats because, Mr.Karat, Trinamool may want our retailers to be competitive and consumers to benefit out of that competitiveness. If I am going to buying groceries, all I care about is the quality and price; I don't bother about who makes money out of it.
a good question this. It is because the TMC wantgs its bread to be
buttered on both sides!
We should be far-sighted, not short-sighted. Our country is not organised for production. FDI should be welcome there. Te number of small commercial establishments in India is much too much large. Many vendors have nothing to do except killing flies all day long. They are in fact unemployed or semi-employed persons. They have families to support. The bazars are full of spectators, who do not have the capacity to buy things they admire. While globalisation has let loose new forces, we should make haste slowly, not try to acquire premature maturity, and play the game in the spirit of the game, without generously gifting away all our goals to our competitors. MNCs should be restricted from participation in retail trade.
I am not a great supporter or sympathiser of Communists but Karat is right. In India where large proportion of population is poor and uneducated it is easy for vultures like Walmart to prey on these innocent people. The biggest benefciaries are going to be the corrupt and shameless politicians. Mamta is only a paper tiger and if she has any self respect and interest of the poor people she should bring down this corrupt congress and its cronies like DMK. Congress is trying to prop up Rahul Gandhi to PM post with these western forces. If that happens we will have a regime similar to one under Shah of Iran where these big corporations will loot the country with impunity. I am not against reforms but reforms should benefit all in the country and should have a human face. With no social net in place like that existing in US and western world these types of reforms will lead to economic slavery.
The three M's (Mamta, Mulayam, Mayawati) are fooling the country, If we recollect, Derik O'brein has given a statement at the time of petrol hike that they will pull out support, if diesel prices are hiked.
Mayawati, Mulayam, Mamta said they don't want the govt to fall, why? no one has reason, they will continue with the govt, the same way communist did in UPA 1 and before sis months, they will pull out the support, trying to take high ground.
I would like to see the parties fooling the people of Bharat to fall on their ground and no chance to get up, in the next general elections.
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