63rd Republic Day

 “On the 26th of January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics, we will be recognising the principle of one man-one vote and one vote-one value. In our social and economic life, we shall by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man-one value.”

“How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life?”—Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India

Today is the 63^rd Republic Day. Our Republic was formed on 26^th January 1950. Just before that, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar stated about the contradiction that the Republic has to face. As per the constitution, every person has one vote with one value. The value of the vote of a billionaire and the vote of a below poverty line person is the same. Hence it is one man-one vote-one value. But the social and economic value of one person and another person is not the same. It is due to the economic inequalities. The liberalisation-privatisation-globalisation policies have increased these inequalities further.

As per the study of ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India), the association of the capitalists, this increase in the inequalities is confirmed.

During the period 2004-05 to 2009-10, the average per capita consumption expenditure remained unchanged for the poorest 20 percent of the people, whereas the average household income of the richest 20 percent increased by 7.7 percent. On an average a rural house hold in the richest 20 percent category spent more than 258 percent of what a household of similar size falling in the poorest 20 percent category spent in 2004-05. This difference further increased to 286 percent in 2009-10.

The resultant market size of the richer MPCR (Marginal Per Capita Consumption Expenditure) class too increased at a relatively faster pace. While the size of the consumer markets expanded at a healthy rate of 7.9 percent, economic inequalities further widened over the five years. Thus the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.The prime minister is compelled to issue the statement on 10-1-2012 that it is a national shame that that it is a national shame that 42% of the children aged below 5 years are underweight due to lack of nutritious food. He stated that it is an unacceptably high occurrence.

Reducing the economic inequalities is the goal mentioned in the directive principles of the constitution. The constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty to all the citizens.

Why the inequalities are growing even after 63 years of our Republic? Why 42% of children are suffereing due to malnutrition and underweight even after the economic progress achieved during these 63 years? The reason is the inequal property relations where in a vast section of the people have no worthwhile property. Unless this is changed and the principle of socialism mentioned in the constitution is truly achieved, the problem of poverty, iequality, malnutrition of children, unemployment and other evils cannot be removed.

Instead of trying to reduce the inequalities the ruling class parties Congress or BJP or other parties of the capitalists and landlords who ever are in power are trying to impose the liberalisation policies on the economy and thus increasing the inequalities further. The big capitalists of India are increasingly collaborating with the big capitalists of advanced capitalist countries to loot our economy. The Governments at the centre, whether NDA earlier or UPA now are acting as the facilitators of this looting.

 They (the Indian big capitalists and their foreign collaborators) are now finding that the parliamentary democracy, the federal structure, and the left democratic and trade union movement are acting as the road blocks to this looting.In parliamentary democracy the people elect M.Ps and they elect the cabinet. The cabinet is the chief executive. The president is the honourable head of the country, but not having the powers to decide the policies. In the present system of parliamentary democracy the single party rule may or may not be possible and since a long time in India there is no single party rule at the centre. Added to this, the coalition in power is bent on implementing the reforms and liberalisation to facilitate this looting by the Indian and foreign big capitalists. But the opposition parties, even though most of them except the left, represent the same capitalist- land lord classes, make the noise in the parliament and outside atleast occasionally against these reforms, keeping an eye on the votes in the elections. Similarly even if the centre wants to implement the reforms, some of the states for their own reasons are not implementing such reforms and due to the Feederal structure of the constitution, the centre is unable to impose some such policies on the states. Added to this, the left parties and the trade unions are always fighting against the liberalisation policies.

The recent example illustrating how the parliamentary democracy, federalism and left and trade unions worked as the road block to reforms is the issue of allowing FDI in retail trade. Keeping in view of the votes of the traders which constitute a substantial section of its votes, the BJP opposed it in the parliament although its previous stand was to allow FDI in retail trade. Mamata Banerjee the chief minister of west Bengal and the leader of the TMC which is a constituent of thee ruling coalition at the centre opposed it since in West Bengal the left front which is its opponent is opposing the FDI and not to fall behind the left front, she has to oppose the FDI. Similarly some other states also opposed due to local politics related to election arithmetic. The left democratic and trade union movement naturally and true to the principle, opposed the FDI. Finally the Government was compelled to withhold the proposal. This does not mean that the liberalisation policies are always stopped. It only means that the parliamentary democracy, federalism and the left parties and trade union movement are acting as road blocks and hence the reforms are not going as fast as desired by the Indian and foreign big capitalists.

Therrefore there is a thinking among the ruling classes and the leaders (atleast some) of the political parties representing the ruling classes. The thinking is to demolish parliamentary democracy, the federal structure and the left and trade union movement. That is why now and then some proposals are coming that we should have only a two parties democracy as in America where the ruling and opposition parties both are the representatives of the ruling classes and will carryout the policies in their favour. They also demand for a presidential type democracy as in America so that the president becomes powerful and will help in implementing reforms and the present difficulties with the coalition politics will not be there. The proposals for dividing the country in to several smaller states is to weaken the states so that they cannot have sufficient strength to resist the policies of the centre. The other demand of the ruling classes is to weaken the left and trade union movement.

Therrefore on this Republic Day we should pledge to protect the Constitution, the parliamentary democracy, the Federal Structure, the secularism and to strengthen the left democratic and trade union movement so that the forces fighting for achieving the goals enshrined inour constitution—removal of inequality and achievement of justice for all, are strengthened.