Kerala

Parliamentary system upset, says Chandrachoodan

Revolutionary Socialist Party general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan

MALAPPURAM: Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan has accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of upsetting the country’s Parliamentary system by bypassing the Parliament to carry on with the Indo-American nuclear agreement.

“No discussion on the nuclear deal has been held in Parliament, throwing the promises made by the Prime Minister to the wind,” he said.

Addressing a meet-the-press at Malappuram Press Club here on Monday, Prof. Chandrachoodan said that Dr. Singh would be evaluated by his actions today and not by the future. “The Prime Minister cheated the country and surrendered its sovereignty to the U.S.,” he said.

The RSP leader said that the deal would make it easy for the U.S. to prevail over Eastern civilizations in an impending clash of civilizations between the West and the East. Victory would be sure for the west, he said.

The deal would help America more than it helped India, said Prof. Chandrachoodan. According to him, India was making a fatal error by dumping the non-alignment policy it followed for decades. “It was the nationalisation of our banks and the Left’s vehement resistance to privatisation that saved the country’s economy even when the economy of major nations was battered in the last several days,” he said.

Prof. Chandrachoodan said that the RSP would insist on getting the Kollam Lok Sabha seat back from CPI (M) hands in the coming general elections. However, he refused to elaborate on further actions if the CPI(M) refused.

Replying to questions on the RSP stand on the proposed special economic zones (SEZs), he said his party favoured liberalisation subject to State laws. According to the RSP, SEZ was possible only if the investor abides by the State’s labour laws, does not use filled land, rehabilitates the displaced people and follows other conditions such as non-exemption from the State tax.

He said there was no dissent within the LDF over the SEZ issue. The projected dissatisfaction of the CPI was only on the outside and not within the ruling front, he said. Prof. Chandrachoodan, however, said that the LDF government had failed to capitalise on its good deeds owing to silly controversies. “Many of the controversies were silly and avoidable. The government should have avoided them,” he said.

He accused the media of playing a pro-Capitalist role. “Even minute errors are being highlighted as though gigantic blunders,” he said. Press Club secretary T.K. Ratnakaran welcomed the gathering.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu