Bardhan faults Naidu's interpretationof Chinese reforms

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 29. The CPI general secretary, Mr.A.B. Bardhan, has taken exception to the Chief Minister, Mr.N. Chandrababu Naidu, citing China in support of his ``World bank-dictated economic reforms.''

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Bardhan said the Chief Minister talked about the heavy flow of foreign investment into China but conveniently forgot the fact that not a single industry there was privatised.

Responding to a question, Mr. Bardhan urged Mr. Chandrababu Naidu to discuss the developments in China in proper perspective and desist from attempting to interpret the Chinese models wrongly.

Mr. Bardhan said the unbundling of the A.P. State Electricity Board (APSEB), carried out at the best of World Bank, had not helped solve the power crisis in the State. Things had worsened and power cuts ranged from four to 12 hours in towns and villages. Only the State capital, which Mr.Naidu projected as a showpiece to outsiders was spared power cut. The lesson to be drawn from the three-year old reforms in the power sector was that half-baked schemes not based on the experiences of our own would not yield results.

Mr. Bardhan flayed the Central and State Governments for the misery of farmers all over the country. The situation was worse in Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, ruled by the NDA allies. Heavy import of foodgrains had hit the farmers badly. The countries dumping food products into the country were heavily subsidising their indigenous agriculture sectors while the BJP and its allies were building up a case for hefty cuts in farm subsidies. The indebtedness of farmers was driving them to suicide in A.P. and Punjab.

The CPI leader said the left front kisan and agricultural workers organisations were planning a massive and militant movement all over the country. A massive demonstration of farmers in Delhi on Thursday would be the beginning of the nationwide struggle to protect farmers and agricultural labourers from the onslaught of the global market.

Mr. Bardhan said the left parties were not averse to the Congress joining the struggle to safeguard the farmers' interests though they were conscious of the fact that it was the Congress regime, which initiated the "misconceived" liberalisation policy.

He rejected the BJP criticism that the left parties, having been partners in the UF Government, could not be absolved themselves of the blame for the ill-effects of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime. He said the left parties had consistently opposed the hike in the prices of petroleum products. The UF Government was run by a conglomeration of 13 parties and it could not be accused of not taking initiatives to reverse commitment of the nation to the WTO.

Mr. Bardhan said the third front (as an alternative to the Congress and the NDA) could be realised through struggles and not by just wishing or chanting mantras.

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