The Hindu : Left should clear confusion: Das Gupta

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 03, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Left should clear confusion: Das Gupta

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Feb. 2. The AITUC general secretary, Gurudas Das Gupta, has said that the Left has the duty to clear the confusion about the LDF Government's overtures to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the permission given to Coca Cola to set up its plant in Palakkad.

Participating in a `Meet the Press' programme here today, the AITUC general secretary said if the LDF Government did indeed clear the establishment of a bottling plant of Coca Cola in the State, it had erred.

He, however, pointed out that he could not comment any further in the matter without knowing if the issue was discussed in the Cabinet. ``It should not have been done. It was wrong to have given permission to Coca Cola,'' he said.

Mr. Das Gupta parried questions on whether it was correct for the LDF to criticise its political rivals for actions that it had set in motion when in power and said he could not discuss the philosophy of the Left.

On reports of cost cutting by the Left Front Government in West Bengal, he said the Left Front Government had not resorted to retrenchment or dilution of labour laws.

If the Government did anything of the kind, the AITUC would not be found wanting in opposing it firmly, he added.

The AITUC leader accused the Antony Government in Kerala of going in for `indiscriminate privatisation' and accused Mr. Antony of having taken a leaf from the Prime Minister, A. B. Vajpayee, and the NDA.

He regretted the failure of the Governments at the Centre and in the States to evolve an alternative development strategy and called for a national debate to evolve one.

Mr. Das Gupta pointed out that as many as one crore persons had been thrown out of their jobs and about six lakh small and medium industries closed down over the last decade resulting in the number of unemployed in the country rising to 15 crores.

If the Governments at the Centre and in the State persisted with their present policies, the ranks of the jobless would swell by another five crores in the coming seven years, he added.

The AITUC general secretary announced that roughly a million workers from across the country would hold a Parliament march on February 26 as part of the countrywide campaign against the liberalisation policies of the Vajpayee Government. ``We will put the Government on notice. If it refuses to heed the warning, we would resort to a general strike followed by indefinite or lightning strikes in different industries such as coal, oil and banking,'' he said.

Mr. Das Gupta said all Central trade unions except BMS were part of the national coalition that would stage the February 26 Parliament march. Discussions were on with the BMS for its participation in the rally. ``The misery of the working class is mounting. There cannot but be a head-on collision with the Government. The toiling masses are determined to put the Government on notice,'' the AITUC leader said.

Earlier, inaugurating a meeting of the AITUC State general council, Mr. Das Gupta said the only industry that flourished in the country was the one engaged in earning crores of rupees in bribe through the sale of public sector units that functioned as the bedrock of the nation's industrial and economic growth.

The working class had realised the need for unity and trade unions of all hues were now joining hands to put up resistance to the Government.

This had put pressure on the Government and it was now trying to finish the trade unions by amending the trade union laws, he said.

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