Telecom Sector-Draining out of astronomical amount of resources from India to foreign telecom equipment manufacturers

In the year 2009-10, the cost of the telecom equipment utilised for expanding the telecom network was Rs 93600 crores. In this,  equipment costing Rs 44800 crores was imported and equipment costing Rs 48800 crores was manufactured in India. But this equipment manufactured in India is not of the category Indian Product(where the intellectual property right acquired for the research and development and the designing and manufacture all were done by Indian Companies), but only Indian manufacture Products”- (which means only assembling and soldering of the parts imported from other countries was done in India), as per the report of the PWC(Price Water Coopers-a US consultancy firm). As per this study of the PWC the value addition in this Indian manufacture is only 11%. This means out of the Rs 48800 crore worth equipment manufactured in India, the value added in India is only Rs 5368 crores. Thus out of the Rs 93600 crores  worth telecom equipment utilised by the Indian telecom services sector in 2008-09, the value created in India is only Rs 5368 crores and the remaining Rs 88232 crores belonged to foreign companies. This means  in one year a huge amount of Rs 88232 crores was paid by India to foreign telecom equipment manufacturing companies. It can be safely presumed that after the starting of mobile telecom services in India, atleast 5 lakh crores of rupees was paid to foreign companies for buying telecom equipment, indicating an astronomical amount of the draining of our resources to foreign countries.

Therefore how to see that this drainage of resources is stopped and the telecom equipment is produced indigenously and the dependence on foreign manufacturers is stopped.

Capitalist Class and Working Class-which is really necessary

Social Classes — Necessary and Superfluous

(This is an interesting article written by Frederick Engels, who along with Karl Marx founded Scientific Socialism. It was written by him in  early August 1881 and published in the 6^th August, 1881 issue of  the journal “The Labour Standard”, the organ of the British Trade Unions. In this article Engels detailed the facts proving that there is no economical function that requires to be performed by the Capitalist Class and hence there is no necessity for its existence as a class and their interference was becoming more and more a nuisance. The reader is requested to find out whether the big capitalists in India and even the big capitalists in other countries are really performing any economical function as a capitalist or whether they have become nuisance. This article is reproduced from the website  “www.marxists.org”-----asokababu)

The question has often been asked, in what degree are the different classes of society useful or even necessary? And the answer was naturally a different one for every different epoch of history considered. There was undoubtedly a time when a territorial aristocracy was an unavoidable and necessary element of society. That, however, is very, very long ago. Then there was a time when a capitalist middle class, a bourgeoisie as the French call it, arose with equally unavoidable necessity, struggled against the territorial aristocracy, broke its political power, and in its turn became economically and politically predominant. But, since classes arose, there never was a time when society could do without a working class. The name, the social status of that class has changed; the serf took the place of the slave, to be in his turn relieved by the free working man -- free from servitude but also free from any earthly possessions save his own labour force. But it is plain: whatever changes took place in the upper, non-producing ranks of society, society could not live without a class of producers. This class, then, is necessary under all circumstances -- though the time must come, when it will no longer be a class, when it will comprise all society.

Now, what necessity is there at present for the existence of each of these three classes?

The landed aristocracy is, to say the least, economically useless in England, while in Ireland and Scotland it has become a positive nuisance by its depopulating tendencies. To send the people across the ocean or into starvation, and to replace them by sheep or deer -- that is all the merit that the Irish and Scotch landlords can lay claim to. Let the competition of American vegetable and animal food develop a little further, and the English landed aristocracy will do the same, at least those that can afford it having large town estates to fall back upon. Of the rest, American food competition will soon free us. And good riddance -- for their political action, both in the Lords and Commons, is a perfect national nuisance.

But how about the capitalist middle class, that enlightened and liberal class which founded the British colonial empire and which established British liberty? The class that reformed Parliament in 1831, [1] repealed the Corn Laws, [2] and reduced tax after tax? The class that created and still directs the giant manufactures, and the immense merchant navy, the ever spreading railway system of England? Surely that class must be at least as necessary as the working class which it directs and leads on from progress to progress.

Now the economical function of the capitalist middle class has been, indeed, to create the modern system of steam manufactures and steam communications, and to crush every economical and political obstacle which delayed or hindered the development of that system. No doubt, as long as the capitalist middle class performed this function it was, under the circumstances, a necessary class. But is it still so? Does it continue to fulfil its essential function as the manager and expander of social production for the benefit of society at large? Let us see.

To begin with the means of communication, we find the telegraphs in the hands of the Government. The railways and a large part of the sea-going steamships are owned, not by individual capitalists who manage their own business, but by joint-stock companies whose business is managed for them by paid employees, by servants whose position is to all intents and purposes that of superior, better paid workpeople. As to the directors and shareholders, they both know that the less the former interfere with the management, and the latter with the supervision, the better for the concern. A lax and mostly perfunctory supervision is, indeed, the only function left to the owners of the business. Thus we see that in reality the capitalist owners of these immense establishments have no other action left with regard to them, but to cash the half-yearly dividend warrants. The social function of the capitalist here has been transferred to servants paid by wages; but he continues to pocket, in his dividends, the pay for those functions though he has ceased to perform them.

But another function is still left to the capitalist, whom the extent of the large undertakings in question has compelled to "retire" from their management. And this function is to speculate with his shares on the Stock Exchange. For want of something better to do, our "retired" or in reality superseded capitalists, gamble to their hearts' content in this temple of mammon. They go there with the deliberate intention to pocket money which they were pretending to earn; though they say, the origin of all property is labour and saving -- the origin perhaps, but certainly not the end. What hypocrisy to forcibly close petty gambling houses, when our capitalist society cannot do without an immense gambling house, where millions after millions are lost and won, for its very centre! Here, indeed, the existence of the "retired" shareholding capitalist becomes not only superfluous, but a perfect nuisance.

What is true for railways and steam shipping is becoming more and more true every day for all large manufacturing and trading establishments. "Floating" -- transforming large private concerns into limited companies -- has been the order of the day for the last ten years and more. From the large Manchester warehouses of the City to the ironworks and coalpits of Wales and the North and the factories of Lancashire, everything has been, or is being, floated. In all Oldham there is scarcely a cotton mill left in private hands; nay, even the retail tradesman is more and more superseded by "co-operative stores", the great majority of which are co-operative in name only -- but of that another time. Thus we see that by the very development of the system of capitalists' production the capitalist is superseded quite as much as the handloom-weaver. With this difference, though, that the handloom-weaver is doomed to slow starvation, and the superseded capitalist to slow death from overfeeding. In this they generally are both alike, that neither knows what to do with himself.

This, then, is the result: the economical development of our actual society tends more and more to concentrate, to socialise production into immense establishments which cannot any longer be managed by single capitalists. All the trash of "the eye of the master", and the wonders it does, turns into sheer nonsense as soon as an undertaking reaches a certain size. Imagine "the eye of the master" of the London and North Western Railway! But what the master cannot do the workman, the wages-paid servants of the Company, can do, and do it successfully.

Thus the capitalist can no longer lay claim to his profits as "wages of supervision", as he supervises nothing. Let us remember that when the defenders of capital drum that hollow phrase into our ears.

But we have attempted to show, in our last week's issue, that the capitalist class had also become unable to manage the immense productive system of this country; that they on the one hand expanded production so as to periodically flood all the markets with produce, and on the other became more and more incapable of holding their own against foreign competition. Thus we find that, not only can we manage very well without the interference of the capitalist class in the great industries of the country, but that their interference is becoming more and more a nuisance.

Again we say to them, "Stand back! Give the working class the chance of a turn."

Notes

1 This refers to the movement for Parliamentary reform in England in 1830-31. The 1832 Reform Act in England granted the franchise to property owners and leaseholders with no less than £10 annual income. The workers and the petty bourgeoisie, who were the main force in the campaign for the reform, remained unenfranchised.

2 The laws passed by the British Parliament on June 26, 1846 -- "An Act to amend the laws relating to the importation of corn" and "An Act to alter certain duties of customs" -- abolished all restrictions on the import of grain into Great Britain, which was a major victory for the industrial bourgeoisie over the landed aristocracy.

Einstein's Quotations

    28-5-2011

EINSTEIN’S QUOTATIONS

(The following are some of the quotations from the great scientist Einstein. They are enlightening and relevant)

Motivation

1.       In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity

Life quotes

2.       Only a life lived for others is worth living

3.       Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death

4.       Without deep reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people

5.       Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.

6.       A person starts to live when he can live outside himself

7.       Imagination is every thing. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.

8.       I believe that a simple unassuming manner of life is best for every one, best for both for the body and the mind.

9.       The devil has put a penalty on all things we enjoy in life. Either we suffer in health or we suffer in soul or we get fat.

Intelligence

10.   It’s not that I’m smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer

11.   Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death

12.   Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them

13.   The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination

14.   Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

15.   Intelligence makes clear to us the interrelationship of means and ends. But mere thinking cannot give us a sense of the ultimate and fundamental ends. To make clear these fundamental ends and valuations and to t set them fast in the emotional life of individual seems to me precisely the most important function which religion has to perform in the social life of man.

16.   Two things are infinite: universe and human stupidity; and I am  not sure about the universe.

Humanity

17.      It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

Character

18.   Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character

Mysterious

19.   The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.

20.   The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.

21.   The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility

Living

22.   Only a life lived for others is worth living

23.   A person starts to live when he can live outside himself

24.   I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don’t have any clean laundry, because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?

25.   Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow

Religion

26.   I am a deeply religious nonbeliever-This is a somewhat new kind of religion.

27.   True religion is real living; living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness

28.   My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of highest importance-but for us, not for god.

29.   Science without religion is lame, religion without science

30.   A man’s moral worth is not measured by what his religious beliefs are but rather by what emotional impulses he has received from Nature during his lifetime

31.   The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. The religion will be based on experience, which refuses to be dogmatic. If there’s any religion that would cope the scientific needs it will be Buddhism..

32.   My feeling is religious in so far as I am imbued with the consciousness of the insufficiency of the human mind to understand more deeply the harmony of the universe which we try to formulate as laws of nature.

Understanding

33.   Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift

34.   Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better

35.   The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.

Einstein's Quotations

28-5-2011

EINSTEIN’S QUOTATIONS

(The following are some of the quotations from the great scientist Einstein. They are enlightening and relevant)

Motivation

1.       In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity

Life quotes

2.       Only a life lived for others is worth living

3.       Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death

4.       Without deep reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people

5.       Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.

6.       A person starts to live when he can live outside himself

7.       Imagination is every thing. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.

8.       I believe that a simple unassuming manner of life is best for every one, best for both for the body and the mind.

9.       The devil has put a penalty on all things we enjoy in life. Either we suffer in health or we suffer in soul or we get fat.

Intelligence

10.   It’s not that I’m smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer

11.   Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death

12.   Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them

13.   The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination

14.   Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.

15.   Intelligence makes clear to us the interrelationship of means and ends. But mere thinking cannot give us a sense of the ultimate and fundamental ends. To make clear these fundamental ends and valuations and to t set them fast in the emotional life of individual seems to me precisely the most important function which religion has to perform in the social life of man.

16.   Two things are infinite: universe and human stupidity; and I am  not sure about the universe.

Humanity

17.      It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

Character

18.   Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character

Mysterious

19.   The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.

20.   The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.

21.   The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility

Living

22.   Only a life lived for others is worth living

23.   A person starts to live when he can live outside himself

24.   I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don’t have any clean laundry, because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?

25.   Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow

Religion

26.   I am a deeply religious nonbeliever-This is a somewhat new kind of religion.

27.   True religion is real living; living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness

28.   My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of highest importance-but for us, not for god.

29.   Science without religion is lame, religion without science

30.   A man’s moral worth is not measured by what his religious beliefs are but rather by what emotional impulses he has received from Nature during his lifetime

31.   The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. The religion will be based on experience, which refuses to be dogmatic. If there’s any religion that would cope the scientific needs it will be Buddhism..

32.   My feeling is religious in so far as I am imbued with the consciousness of the insufficiency of the human mind to understand more deeply the harmony of the universe which we try to formulate as laws of nature.

Understanding

33.   Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift

34.   Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better

35.   The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.

Planning Commission on Poverty

Daily Notes dated 27-5-2011

Poverty Line as defined by  the Planning Commission of India and the safety net proposed by the National Food Security Act

In the proceedings before the Supreme Court in a case of PIL(Public Interest Litigation) the Planning Commission of India submitted its definition of poverty line. According to it, the individual whose daily expenditure on essential requirements is Rs 20/- in urban areas and  Rs 15/- in rural areas has to be considered as above poverty line. The person living in urban area incurring monthly expenditure of Rs 578/- on essential requirements has to be considered above poverty line. This amount of Rs 578/- includes Rs 31/- on rent and conveyance, Rs 18/- on education, Rs 25/- on medicines and Rs 36.50 on vegetables. The Cabinet reduced this further and said those incurring Rs 447/- per month are to be considered as above poverty line.

With these criteria the Planning Commission estimated that 33 percent of the population is below poverty line(those in poverty). But the National Advisory Committee headed by Smt Sonia Gandhi estimated the below poverty line population as 46 percent. But it is to be noted that the Arjun Sengupta Committee appointed by the Central Government previously estimated that 77 percent of the population are incurring less than Rs 20/- only on essential requirements and hence all of them are to be considered as below poverty line(BPL).

All this exercise for defining poverty line and for estimating the population below poverty line(BPL population) is aimed to restrict the safety net for right to food in the proposed National Food Security Act, to this BPL population. This is a futile, anti people exercise. It is necessary to provide food security to all sections of the population, whether BPL(Below Poverty Line) or APL(Above Poverty Line) by strengthening the PDS(Public Distribution System) and by providing 35 kilos food grains per family per month at the rate of Rs 2/- per kilo. According to the estimation of the NAC headed by Smt Sonia Gandhi, Rs 88000 crore is required to provide food security thus to the entire population. This is not a big amount. The concession in taxes given to the Corporates in this year’s budget is about Rs 80,000 crore. The amount looted in 2G spectrum scam is Rs 1,76,000 crores. Therefore in case the scams are not there and the unnecessary concessions are not given to rich people are stopped, enough money will be available with the Government to implement universal food security. But since the Government is in favour of allowing the rich people to loot the country, it is trying to restrict the food security by minimising the number of BPL population by imposing a ridiculous poverty line as detailed above.

All the progressive sections of the people should oppose these policies and demand for universal food security.(Source-Prajasakti, Telugu Daily dated 27-5-2011)

Daily Notes and an article by Com M.K.Pandhe on Coal Sector

Daily Notes dated 26-5-2011

Petrol prices-some facts

The cost of a litre raw petrol is Rs 28.32 at present. If Rs 6/- is added as purification cost, the price of a litre petrol should be Rs 34.32. But due to the taxes imposed by the Central and State Governments on this, the price of litre petrol in Hyderabad is Rs 70.70. Thus more than 50% of the price of the petrol is because of the taxes imposed by Central and State Governments. During the period from 1-4-2009 to 31-12-2009, the Central Government got an income of Rs 56,325 crores on account of taxes on petroleum products whereas the subsidy given by it in this period on petroleum products is only Rs 14,048 crores only. Thus the Government gave only 25% of its tax income on petro products as subsidy. It is to be noted that on 15-5-2011 the Manmohan Singh Government allowed the Petrol Companies to increase petrol price by Rs 5/- per litre whereas the price of aviation fuel(fuel used for aeroplanes) was reduced by 2.9%. Thus in Delhi, the price of jet fuel per litre is Rs 58.60 whereas the price of a litre petrol is Rs 63.40. Therefore the ordinary people dependent on petrol are subsidising the rich people travelling by air.(Source—Prajasakti, Telugu Daily, dated 26-5-2011)

Article to be read to understand what is happening in another PSU Coal India

Coal Miners Prepare for Nationwide Strike (M K Pandhe, Vice President, CITU)

 THE discontent among coal workers all over India is growing due to the anti-public sector policies of the UPA-II government. The assurances given earlier by the government to the coal unions have not been implemented.  Even the decisions taken in the Joint Committees in coal industry have been kept pending for several years.  Some of the clauses of the wage agreement applicable from July 1, 2006 have not been implemented so far.

The present wage agreement is expiring on June 30, 2011 but even the Joint Committee for wage negotiations has not been constituted up till now.  The union coal minister made a solemn declaration that the wage settlement would be finalised before June 30, 2011 but the assurance remains on paper.

During the last 10 years, the employment in public sector coal industry has come down from 6.5 lakh to 4 lakh while at the same time the contract labour is being increasingly engaged in permanent and perennial jobs, violating the laws of the land.  At present nearly 40 per cent  of the coal production in Coal India is done through contract labour and through outsourcing of jobs.

THREAT OF DENATIONALISATION

Though the Bill to denationalise coal mines is pending before parliament for several years and the union government could not get it passed due to the threat of the trade unions to resort to indefinite strike if the bill would be passed by parliament, the government is resorting to backdoor privatisation through several dubious means.  Nearly 250 coal blocks have been given to the private sector companies in the name of captive blocks for power generation having a total reserve of 55 billion tones of coal. Many of these private operators are selling coal in open market illegally, though statutorily only Coal India and Singareni Coal Mines have the authority to sell the coal in the market.

Private sector operators are paying paltry wages to the coal workers and they do not implement labour laws.  Many are not even paying the PF contribution and are depriving statutory benefits to the coal miners.  The trade union demand that National Coal Wage Agreement should be made applicable to all the workers in coal mines is not yet accepted by the union government.

While the government is closing down the public sector coal mines and allowing illegal mine operators to extract coal in hazardous conditions, it has sanctioned the formation of Coal Videsh Company to mine coal in Australia, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa and other countries.  Import of coal is increasing year by year and forty million tonnes of coal is being imported in India despite having huge coal reserves in the country.

In the name of reducing the cost of production, the Coal India management is not bothering about ensuring the safe working conditions even as frequent coal accidents are taking place in coal companies. The dreaded disease of pneumoconiosis is spreading due to inhaling of coal dust by the coal miners but sufficient measures are not taken by the managements.  The Director General of Mines Safety is not paying adequate attention to ensure safe working conditions in coal mines while the decisions of statutory enquiry committee of coal accidents do not get implemented in their true spirit.

The coal unions of all affiliations held a joint convention in March 2010 and decided to go on a three day nationwide strike to oppose the policy of disinvestment and cancel all the coal blocks given to the private sector.

STRIKE BY CITU UNIONS

However, when the union minister of coal called a meeting of unions and assured to give some economic concessions, all the unions except CITU decided to withdraw the strike. The CITU decided to adhere to the decision of joint convention and called for one day strike on May 5, 2010 which was responded positively by majority of coal miners in the country. Later on, BMS and HMS unions also gave a call on another day on similar demands.

The absence of trade union unity was fully utilised by the central government and CIL management.  The union coal ministry announced disinvestment of 10 per cent of Coal India’s shares.  Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee assured the trade unions that the government would not resort to further disinvestment but now the coal ministry has announced further disinvestment of 16 per cent of Coal India share holdings, thus the assurance given earlier was blatantly violated.

Despite union coal mnistry’s offer of giving shares to workers at concessional rate, the workers refused to take the shares of Coal India and expressed their disapproval of disinvestment in public sector coal industry.  The chairman of Coal India had publically expressed surprise at workers not opting for taking shares of Coal India.

The government of India has appointed 40 independent members of the Board of Directors but workers representatives were not included in them. Most of the Board members had nothing to do with coal industry and they have only used their position for their selfish interests.

It was a condition imposed by the government that the Coal India would be given navaratna status only if it would put the shares of CIL in the share market.  Now the ministry of coal is toying with the idea of further disinvesting Coal India and giving it maharatna status.

NATIONAL CONVENTION

A national convention was held at Nagpur on May 11, 2011 to consider all these developments and chalk out a programme of action. Over 50 leading activists belonging to Indian National Mine Workers Federation (INTUC), Indian Mine Workers federation (AITUC), Akhil Bharatiya Khadan Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Hind Khadan Mazdur Federation (HMS) and All India Coal Workers Federation (CITU) participated.

Speakers belonging to all the Federations strongly criticized the policy of the union government and Coal India for adopting anti-worker policy and resorting to reckless privatisation drive. Speakers demanded that contract workers should not be engaged in coal industry. Pending its abolition, the contract workers should be paid the same rate of wages as regular employees. The need to preserve the unity in struggle was emphasised by several speakers who stressed that the division among the trade unions during the last agitation should not be repeated this time.

Many speakers pointed out that the decisions taken in the standardisation committee of Joint Bipartite Committee in Coal Industry must be implemented forthwith.  Even the outcome of the High Power Committee on Contract Labour is yet to reach a final stage.

Jibon Roy, speaking on behalf of All India Coal Workers Federation, welcomed the unity achieved by the five unions.  He observed that without a determined and long drawn struggle, the government and the Coal India management would not accept the legitimate demands of the workers.

M K Pandhe, speaking on behalf of the presidium, noted that the government of India was determined to wipe out the public sector coal industry and hand it over to mafia, defeating the entire purpose of nationalisation of coal industry.  He criticised the policy of government of India to give more emphasis on imported nuclear power stations than development of thermal and hydel power stations.  He emphasised the need for strengthening the united struggle and not to succumb to the pressure on coal ministry when they offer minor concessions.

Except CITU, all the unions demanded reintroduction of voluntary retrenchment scheme for women workers.  The CITU opposed the demand on the ground that it was an attempt to eliminate women’s employment in coal industry.  The CITU’s objection had to be mentioned in the declaration adopted by the Convention.

The convention decided to launch a movement if the union coal ministry failed to ensure finalisation of Coal wage agreement by the end of June 2011.  A national convention of all coal unions will be held at Ranchi on June 21, 2011 which will be attended by 500 delegates from all the coal unions.  The convention will decide the date of strike in coal industry.  It was further decided to hold company level conventions by June 15, 2011 to popularise the demands raised by Nagpur Convention.

The Convention decided to issue notice to the union ministry of coal and chairman Coal India about the action programme decided by the convention and appealed to all the regular employees and contract workers to prepare for long drawn struggle so that the demand for wage revision is achieved and the drift towards privatisation is stopped.

(Note; This article is reproduced from “People’s Democracy, 22-5-2011 issue)

Daily Notes dated 25-5-2011

Daily Notes dated 25-5-2011

MILLIONS OF GIRL CHILDREN MURDERED BEFORE BIRTH-FEUDAL OUTLOOK HAS TO BE DEFEATED TO STOP THIS TREND

A study “Trends in selective abortion of girls in India: Analysis of nationally representative birth histories from 1990 to 2005 and Census data from 1991 to 2011” published in the latest edition of the “The Lancet”(world’s leading general medical journal) revealed that the girl-boy ratio in India fell from 906 girls per 1000 boys in 1990 to 836 in 2005, an annual decline of 0.52%. It revealed that this was due to aborting the girl child before birth. The largest number of such abortion took place in 1990s after the initiation of the liberalisation-privatisation-globalisation policies. The study revealed that this dropping in sex ratio is more pronounced among the richest and educated families. This is due to their ability to have better access to sex diagnostic techniques and abortion and ability to evade law. The wealthier and educated households are more pronouncedly aborting the girl child if their first born child also is a girl.

The study revealed that well over 4.2 million to 12.1 million girls were prevented from being born between 1980 and 2010. The number of selective abortion of girls rose from 0.2 million in 1980s to 1.2 million to 4.1 million in 1990s, and to 3.1 million to 6 million in 2000s. The study revealed that between 2001 and 2011 census, more than twice the number of Indian districts showed decline in the child sex ratio compared with no change or increases.

This mass scale murder of girl children before birth is due to the feudal outlook(son should be there to inherit the property and to save father from Punnama  naraka)  in favour of male children and the richer people with this outlook having better access to sex determination techniques with ability to evade law accompanied along with the necessity for family planning.

Therefore even to have a proper sex ratio in the Indian population we have to fight against the feudal tradition and outlook.(source of the news; The Hindu, 25-5-2011)

BHARTI AIRTEL OPERATING TELECOM SERVICES IN 14 AFRICAN COUNTRIES-EXAMPLE OF INDIAN BIG CAPITALISTS EXPANDING THEIR BUSINESS INTERNATIONALLY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY

As per the report in “The Hindu” dated 25-5-2011, Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel told that it will invest 1 billion dollars(Rs 4500 crore) in the African continent to expand its network throughout the 16 countries in that continent. In his vie Africa offers a long term opportunity for Indian businesses in manufacturing, agriculture, services and more and more Indian businesses should participate in Africa.

Such expansion of Indian Corporates to other countries is being portrayed by the Corporate media as a great success for which every Indian should be proud of. Is it so? Why should ordinary Indian be proud of such achievement of these Corporates and big capitalists unless they are helping in the self sufficiency and sovereignty of the country? Sri Sunil Mittal who is interested in expanding his business to Africa is not at all interested in encouraging  the indigenous manufacture of modern telecom equipment. Bharti Airtel submitted to TRAI that “any kind of regulation /mandate on the use of Indian products in the telecom network would be counterproductive and would retard the growth of Indian telecom sector..”.

Therefore the Indian Big Capitalists are not patriotic enough to encourage indigenous manufacture of modern telecom equipment. They do not want the Government to stipulate any condition on the telecom services companies to purchase telecom equipment manufactured by India.

On the other hand, being the Public Sector Undertaking, BSNL is mandated to procure 30% of its equipment from ITI. It is good since it is encouraging Indian manufacture. But why the Government is not putting the same condition on private operators? All patriotic people must demand the Government to impose the condition on private telecom operators to mandatorily purchase Indian manufactured telecom equipment, at least up to certain percent of their requirement.

Daily Notes dated 25-5-2011