Heed lessons of financial crisis afflicting the US: CPI(M)

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today described the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the fourth largest investment bank in the US, as a considerable deepening of the financial crisis in the US, precipitated by the collapse of the real estate bubble.

The party, in a press statement here, has said another large investment bank, Merrill Lynch, was bought by the Bank of America at a throwaway price while insurance giant American International Group (AIG) is struggling to raise funds and desperately seeking a bailout package. The latest round of financial stress in the US comes inspite of the recent nationalisation of the housing mortgage companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the state sponsored bailout of another investment bank, Bear Stearns, earlier this year.

The statement said it is clear by now that even the US Government with all its resources is finding it impossible to bail out these failing financial giants with public funds, given the sheer extent of their losses. The deregulated financial system of the US, which has been held up by the advocates of globalisation and financial liberalisation as a model to be emulated by all countries, has been badly exposed for its inefficiency and unviability.

The CPI(M) said the Manmohan Singh government needs to learn proper lessons from these momentous events, as it has been pursuing harmful steps for financial liberalisation. Legislations like the Banking Regulation Amendment Bill, IRDA Bill and the PFRDA Bill, which seek to further deregulate, privatise and open up banking, insurance and pension funds to foreign finance capital, should immediately be withdrawn.

The renewed attempts to make the capital account convertible and deregulate the capital markets should also come to an end. The Indian financial system must not be allowed to become a happy hunting ground for speculative finance capital to the detriment of financial stability, the statement added.

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