Wednesday, Dec 11, 2002
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2002 |
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Kerala
By Our Special Correspondent
Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Vijayan said that the CPI(M) would mobilise the working class in these sectors, besides spearheading agitations under the LDF umbrella against the UDF Government's reforms policies. The Government cannot promote industrial investment and development and pursue a reforms agenda, basically set by the Asian Development Bank, by ignoring the mounting crisis in as diverse sectors as coir, cashew, plantations, textiles and handlooms, cooperatives, the public sector undertakings, including the KSEB and the KSRTC. He said that an estimated 40 lakh workers in these sectors were under threat consequent to the reforms agenda of the UDF Government. "We are not opposed to the Global Investors Meet, but we strongly hold the view that industrial investment could be promoted only in a climate of contentment and not discontentment. As long as these issues are not addressed, the GIM can hardly be seen anything but a propaganda campaign,'' he said in reply to questions. He accused the UDF Government of turning a blind eye to the problems in the coir and cashew sectors, where the workers were facing starvation owing to lack of employment. It had failed to give employment for even a single day to 33,000 cashew workers in the 44 factories of the Cashew Development Corporation and Capex. An estimated 4.5 lakh workers in the Coir sector were hit because of the untenable policies of the Central and state Governments. The coir factories had failed to pay minimum wages to the workers, while the Government was not releasing the pension amounts. The coir cooperatives were in doldrums and the Coir Corporation was sitting on the Rs eight crores it had received for distress purchase schemes. In the handloom sector, the Government was hell bent in ensuring that the handloom cooperatives did not function properly. It had failed to avail of Kerala's share of the special rebate announced by the Centre and distribute it among the cooperatives by adding the State's share. Plantation workers were facing starvation. The workers of the Public sector undertakings were under threat. Each of these sectors had their own unique problems, but the Government was totally ignoring these issues. The Government had announced an agenda for redistribution of land to the tribes, but it has not gone ahead much and the basic issues relating to the tribals are still unaddressed, he added. Mr Vijayan also flayed the UDF Government for changing the basic structure of the State's education system. He said that the UDF had adopted a pro-management policy even before the Supreme Court handed down its verdict on admission quota for managements of the self-financing institutions. It had failed to rein in these managements who had gone ahead with admitting students under the management quota, while ignoring the seats to be filled up under the merit quota. When asked about his party's approach to the extreme left groups which had staged violent anti-ADB agitations, Mr Vijayan said that his party was not as much concerned by such agitations, but it wanted to line all affected sections under one umbrella to fight the reforms agenda. When asked about his party's approach to the rechristened Kerala Development Project, Mr Vijayan said that his party would adopt a twin-strategy. It would oppose the KDP if it were to undermine the decentralization process set off by the previous LDF Government. It would at the same time not hesitate to extend its cooperation and support if it were to strengthen the process, he added. To a question of whether his party would intervene in the row in the Malankara Church, Mr Vijayan replied in the negative, though he hastened to add that the CPI(M) was indeed concerned about the feud and its impact on society. ''We are of the opinion that the Government should have intervened long time back before the issue escalated into a major law and order problem, he added.
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