Left's I-Day message to PM: Do plain speaking

New Delhi, Aug 13: Ahead of Dr Manmohan Singh's hat-trick of Independence Day addresses, the Left parties today asked him to explain to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 how the government plans to deal with burning issues confronting the nation like the spiralling price rise, deteriorating internal security and farmers' suicides.

The Communists have also reminded the Prime Minister of the ''meagre'' allocation on public health and education and how his government was toeing the ''discredited'' foreign and economic policies of the NDA regime.

The Left's Independence Day list to Dr Singh is full. He must explain to what extent the gigantic Rs 75,000 crore Bharat Nirman Project has been implemented and what is the fate of pending legislations like the Unorganised Workers' Bill, Agricultural Workers' Bill and the Tribal Bill.

In separate interviews to sources, the leaders of the CPI(M), CPI, RSP and the Forward Bloc say the Prime Minister should reiterate the government's commitment to the Common Minimum Programme.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said, ''Recent experience shows that the government had made mere announcements and not implemented the commitments honestly. For example, the promise to provide social security to over 370 million unorganised workers, farmers' suicides and the grave agrarian crisis in various parts of the country. In Vidarbha alone, over 100 farmers have committed suicide since the Prime Minister's visit to the area.'' Mr Bardhan, a veteran communist and freedom fighter, said Dr Singh would be speaking with a sense of mixed feelings as there have been ''very little achievements'' since his last Independence Day speech.

The government has enacted several legislations like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Right to Information Act, which may benefit the people if implemented honestly, but there are several other issues on which it has not acted, he said.

But the areas of concerns for the masses are much wider like the government's ''surrender'' to the WTO, in particular on the imports and exports of agricultural produce which has led to sky-rocketing of prices of essential commodities, he said adding the transportation cost had gone up leading to increase in the prices of petroleum products during the UPA's two-and-a-half year rule, said Mr Bardhan.

CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi said concessions had been accorded to the rich classes but the allocation for education and public health had remained low.

''The monsoon session of Parliament was expected to pass the Tribal Bill but that has not materialised. Also the Women's Reservation Bill is hanging fire,'' said Mr Faizi, editor of party weekly 'New Age'.

The CPI leaders said the Prime Minister would have to do a lot of explaining to the nation on the foreign policy, especially the India-US nuclear deal. ''There is a general apprehension the government is continuing the foreign policy of the previous regime lining behind the US,'' said Mr Faizi. The India-US nuclear deal has raised many questions that the Prime Minister was ''avoiding'' to explain, he added.

Senior CPI(M) leaders Basudev Achariya and Mohammad Salim said Dr Singh should emphasise on concrete schemes and explain the implementation strategy.

''Dr Singh will also have to deal sternly with the current major challenges to contain price hike, internal security and upholding the country's independent foreign policy. He will have to report to the people how he proposes to translate the promises made during his earlier Independence Day speeches,'' said Mr Salim.

Forward Bloc National Secretary G Devarajan recalled that Dr Singh in his last Independence Day speech had talked about the Bharat Nirman scheme, which envisaged the over-all development in the areas of education, infrastructure, health, sanitation, rural electrification and drinking water supply.

''How much money has been spent for this scheme and in which areas?'' asked Mr Devarajan.

RSP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abani Roy said the government should take immediate initiatives to provide education for all and provide employment opportunities to the youth who can be easily misled by anti-social elements, be it criminals or terrorist outfits.

UNI

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