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UPA : Congress prepares action programme

	September 13, 2004

Realising the publicity advantage that the BJP is getting through agitational politics, the Congress Party has prepared a nine-point action programme aimed at making the organisation as the pivot in taking policy initiatives on various issues. The action programme is based on the agenda outlined at the August 21 meeting of the All-India Congress Committee.

After the debacle in the elections to the Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka Assemblies, the Congress realised the need to generate, conceive and implement programmes at the political level rather than leave it to the administration or bureaucrats.

The party also decided to enlist the services of some 15 lakh members in the local bodies who are either representing the Congress or had been elected with party support to form the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sanghathan (Rajiv Gandhi organisation for local self-governance). This would be aimed at training and mobilising the elected representatives in panchayats (rural governing bodies) and nagar palikas (municipal committees) as the foot soldiers for party work.

With Sonia Gandhi laying stress on an activity-based role for the organisation, the party plans to prepare a campaign for effective implementation of social legislation relating to women’s rights, child welfare, and on issues such as dowry, violence against women, atrocities on weaker sections, child marriage and female foeticide.

The Congress would soon set up a task force consisting of former Chief Ministers and leaders from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa to study the Naxalite problem in tribal regions. The attempt was to draw on the leaders’ experience in seeking a political response to the problem.

The party would involve its members and frontal organisations in propagating the Right to Information campaign and reactivate the Indian National Trade Union Congress to address social security concerns of 93 per cent of labour working in the unorganised and informal sectors. Simultaneously, padayatras (marches) and mass contact programmes would be launched to highlight the concerns of farmers, workers, weavers and other weaker sections in States where the Congress is in the Opposition.

A sustained “Swach Vatavaran Abhiyaan” (clean environment campaign) in which every worker would undertake specific tasks in villages, towns and cities would be launched. Enforcement of a code of ethics and austerity circulated by Sonia Gandhi to all Chief Ministers and Pradesh (state) Congress Committees and adoption of norms of public conduct that stood out for simplicity and integrity would be another area receiving attention.



Tackling the Left : UPA’s major concern

Meanwhile, the Left parties restlessness with the performance of the Manmohan Singh government is coming to the fore. Hardly a day passes without a critical comment from Left leaders. Differences range from reforms, especially opening up of foreign investment to the presence of economic experts with World Bank or IMF links. Though the Left has accepted as inevitable, the increase in petro products prices, the issue of EPF (Employees Provident Fund) interest rate still remains a thorny one. A meeting in Kolkata of CPI-M leaders on Sept 10 decided to take up the party’s concerns to the Centre. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu plans to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and seek steps to project a better image of the government. There is a sustained attack on the Planning Commission ever since Montek Singh Ahluwalia was made in charge of vital decisions. But the PM strongly backs Montek.

Observers note say Manmohan Singh, finance minister P. Chidambaram, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and economic adviser to the Congress president Jairam Ramesh have formed a tight ring to zealously guard their pro-reform economic policies and not allow Left-backed proposals to filter through without their specific concurrence.

The four friends who have worked well together in the past are now in complete charge of the UPA government’s economic reforms, speaking with one voice, and determined not to allow pressure from the Left to introduce state controls that are not in sync with their decision to continue economic reforms on a war footing. Left leaders are openly critical of what some harshly refer to as the “World Bank lobby” in the government admitting that there is little they are able to get through the “wall” that is determining economic policies for the UPA government.

Discussions, meetings and even threats to “bite” have not impressed the four leaders who have made it clear to the Congress Party that it cannot afford to slow down the pace of reforms without adverse repercussions on the economy. The Left parties, after an initial hearing where they were consulted and listened to at length by both Dr Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram, now find that they are not being heard. Their concerns over the proposed FDI (foreign direct investment) hike in specific sectors made no impact on the government.

Dr. Singh indicated very firmly, during his first press conference recently, that a FDI rollback should not be expected. He said he was hopeful of convincing the Left parties on this issue. Separately, the Congress Party and the government, through deft propaganda, have managed to place the Left parties in the firing line for being anti-reform. Left leaders have had to repeatedly state that this is not so, but that they are committed to some protection for the public sector in India and are not prepared to endorse a complete “sellout” to the World Bank.

A senior Left leader felt they might be left with little option but to go on to the streets against the economic policies of the government. The latest press statement issued by the Left parties against the appointment of World Bank and American consultants on committees of the Planning Commission did not lead to a rethinking on the part of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who has made it clear that there is no question of revoking this decision. He quoted Gandhi to insist that foreigners had been included in Planning Commission committees as “I want the commission to become a window to hear the views of the outsiders.” This was challenged by CPI leader D. Raja at a public function, where he asked: “How can outsiders come and take part in the planning process of our country? We will oppose it.”

The Left parties decided to shift the focus on prioritising the promises made in the Common Minimum Programme, especially those aimed at addressing concerns of the poor. At a coordination committee meeting of the Left parties, it was decided that at the next meeting with the UPA the thrust would be on finding out what steps were being taken to implement the promises made such as legislation to guarantee 100 days of employment and protect farm labour, food-for-work, drinking water augmentation, and review of the Electricity Act, 2003.

The Left would also take up the new foreign trade policy, announced by Commerce Minister, Kamal Nath. The CPI had criticised the policy saying it was announced without consulting the Left parties.



Political issues

With the Left parties deciding to focus on political issues along with economic ones, Home Minister Shivraj Patil is likely to be on target at the next UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting. Though the four Left partners haven’t insisted so, they want Patil to be at the meeting when they raise the issues of Manipur and Kashmir after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from the US.

For some time now, the Left has been critical of what they believe is the government’s “mishandling” of the Manipur situation. It is worried that the BJP might try to exploit the UPA Government’s inability to give direction on the Kashmir dialogue process. The CPI(M) has already explained that it wants to play a constructive role and would like to put forward its views on some crucial political issues.

Expressing concern over the Manipur situation, the Left parties said they were not satisfied with the manner in which the crisis had been handled so far. On Jammu and Kashmir, the parties would seek the progress of the dialogue with various groups in the State.