Aiyar takes swipe at government's economic policy

New Delhi, Aug 16 (UNI) Known for courting controversies for his remarks, Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has fired a fresh salvo against the government, accusing it of pursuing economic policies that have only widened the chasm between the rich and the poor.

''Those sitting in Lutyens' Delhi can never understand the plight of the villagers,'' he said, in an interview to 'Outlook' (Hindi) magazine.

Mr Aiyar said Gandhi, Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi cared for the poor but the policy of liberalisation had benefited only a handful of people, ''emboldening the rich to think that it is their world alone that shines while the poor and the unsuccessful continue to be marginalised.'' He said one could rejoice over the fact that the country was poised to clock a growth rate of 10 per cent, ''but it gives feelings of trepidation that in the UN's Human Development Index, we have merely come down from 127th to 126th position.'' He said India ranked fourth in the world in terms of the highest number of trillionaries and eighth in the list of billionaires, ''but there is also the diturbing fact that 82 crore people of the country survive on an income of less than Rs 20 per day.'' Mr Aiyar said Gandhiji had given a talismanic solution to doubts and suspicions. ''Gandhiji had said whenever you are assailed by a doubt, close your eyes and think seriously how much poor people of the country are going to benefit from your steps, and all your doubts and ambivalence will come to an end,'' he recalled.

Lacing his observations with a fair amount of sarcasm, he said the situation was diametrically opposite now. ''The policy-makers, when confronted with doubts, tend to close their eyes to focus on the rich people and then ask questions how much benefits their steps are going to give to those privileged people. It wipes out all your doubts.'' The minister, who raised the heckle of some of his cabinet colleagues by not strongly pursuing India's bid for holding the 2012 South Koreai Asiad, said priority should be accorded to those who needed it the most.

Mr Aiyar was of the view that the amount of Rs 82,000 crore, earmarked by the Finance Ministry for rural development, should not be entrusted in the hands of bureaucracy.

''Instead, the money should be given to the state governments by empowering them to spend it through Panchayats and local bodies.

Those who are deprived of roads, education, potable water and quality healthcare can understand its importance better.'' Likening communalism to the phenomenon of ''a jackal attacking in the dark'', he said communal forces were given a free hand when Mr V P Singh was at the helm of affairs.

''During the period 1990-92, communal forces were propped up tremendously. But on December 6, 1993, these forces were unmasked to such an extent that leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, L K Advani and Uma Bharti have to repeatedly clarify that they have nothing to do with the demolition of the Babri mosque.'' He said December 6, 1992, thus, proved to be the highest point of secularism and since then, communal forces had been experiencing reverses.

UNI