Correct Way To Fight Against Corruption

The defect of the team Anna (Anna Hazare and others) in the fight against corruption is that it is against public servants only and not against the main source of corruption, the link between big business-politician-bureaucrat and funding of political parties by big business and the election system where money plays a big role by encouraging individual candidates to get elected by polling more votes than other candidates. If proportionate representation is there i.e if people vote for parties instead of individual candidates and the seats in the Assemblies and Parliament are decided as per the percentage of votes polled by the parties, corruption and role of money power in elections will be curtailed. 

The Left Parties have decided to organise country wide movement against corruption next month. The activists of the Left Parties will picket central government offices, hold  dharna, rallies, demonstrations etc between July 15 and 21during monsoon session of the Parliament. The Left Parties are placing the following demands to curb corruption:

i) Adoption of an effective Lokpal legislation

ii) There should be a National Judicial Commission to curb corruption in the high judiciary

iii) Stringent action against the rampant corruption fostered by the big business-politician-bureaucratic nexus which has led to scandal such as the 2G spectrum case.

iv) Implementation  of electoral reforms including introduction of proportional representation system to check money power in elections

v) Steps to unearth black money and repatriation of the illegal money stashed abroad.

While the Congress, BJP and the leaders of several regional parties are facing charges of serious corruption, the Left Parties leaders are not involved in such corruption. The MLAs and MPs of Left Parties are free from corruption charges. The demands raised by the Left Parties against corruption are proper and we should wish success for the movement of the Left Parties against corruption. But whether the media controlled by the big capitalists will give any coverage to this movement since it is against the unholy nexus of the big business-politician-bureaucrat? This is to be seen. In any case all citizens should support this struggle against corruption. 

Is Imperialism Still Alive And Relevant For Us?

When Britishers ruled India directly every Indian understood the meaning and relevancy of imperialism and everybody including the Indian capitalists opposed it in various ways and various degrees, some participated in the struggle against it, some supported the struggle etc.

Immediately after independence the relevance of imperialism continued to be there. The Indian Government took the lead in non-aligned movement, mobilised the countries that got independence newly and utilised that forum for the benefit of the ruling classes i.e capitalist and landlords, and to some extent the people of these countries. This non-aligned forum was used to create pressure and get concessions from the advanced capitalist countries.

But now in India the Capitalist class had grown by utilizing the new opportunities arisen after independence and reached a stage where some of them have joined the billionaire club i.e top among the rich people in the world. This prosperity was shared by a section of the intelligentia in India. With this, a propaganda is going on that now there is no imperialism and the Left parties and certain trade unions and some intellectuals are foolishly talking against imperialism which is non-existent. The Government of India also not interested in non-aligned movement now. Therefore we have to examine and find out whether imperialism is still relevant in our country and if so how it effects us.

The wealth in capitalist economy is held in the form of physical capital like industries etc, or bonds and equities  and money or claims on the banks. Since all wealth is not in the form of physical capital and mostly in the form of money, shares and bonds etc, there has to be a system maintaining the stability of this non-physical wealth. The value of money should be stable in terms of the commodities it can acquire. Otherwise it loses its value.

But the holding of this wealth in money form is an international phenomena, although each country is having its own currency. When so many currencies are there, the currency of the leading nation becomes the world money. Today American  dollar is playing the role of world money. The wealth of capitalists in other countries can be stable as long as the dollar of America is stable. Therefore it is essential that the value of the US dollar should not decline compared to the value of the commodities.

A whole set of arrangements are there to ensure this. One arrangement is to  prevent any significant raise in domestic commodity values in the leading capitalist system. This is done by preventing any significant raise in the money wages of the wokers in the leading capitalist economy i.e in America and other developed countries. Money wages will not raise only when there is unemployment, i.e when the supply of labour power is more and demand for it is less. The other arrangement is that the cost of the imported material inputs in the leading economies like petroleum etc should not raise significantly. If oil price increases it will result in increase in the prices of all other commodities. Same applies to the agricultural products, minerals etc imported by these advanced economies from other countries. They should be imported cheaply to keep the value of the dollar stable. To prevent the rise in the price of these imported commodities, the money wages in the countries producing these commodities should be stable. They should not rise as far as possible. For this purpose there should be unemployment in the countries producing these commodities. There should be more unemployment in these countries producing commodities for exporting to advanced economies.

Even this prevention of money wage raise every where is not sufficient to keep up the value of the dollar stable. There should be no shortage of the critical commodities in the advanced economies. These critical commodities are (a) of exhaustible resources like petroleum and other sources of energy and (b) the agricultural products from the tropical countries like India, other Asian and African countries. In case the prices of these commodities rise highly it will effect the stability of the dollar since its value will fall. It is therefore essential for the leading economy in the capitalist world to have control over these commodities of other countries so that their value can be prevented from raising critically. That is why the USA is occupying Iraq directly and controlling the middle east countries indirectly to have control on oil. In case the people  of the agriculture dependent countries are able to have higher incomes enabling them to purchase adequate agricultural products, or in case the farmers of these countries get higher price for their products, the value of the agricultural products that will be imported by the advanced economy will raise and it will effect the stability of the dollar. That is why the wages of the workers, the prices of the agricultural products are kept low and unemployment kept at higher levels in countries like India etc.

This imposition of unemployment and sacrifices on the people of India and the people of countries in Asia and Africa in order to keep the value of the dollar stabale is the imperialism now. Therefore imperialism is still relevant and it is still exploiting our people and we have to still continue our fight against imperialism and the left parties are correct in their efforts for mobilizing people against imperialism. The political independence has given scope for development, and there is actual development after independence and the fruits of this development is mostly being eaten by the Indian big capitalists in collaboration with the foreign big capitalists. Since the Indian Capitalists are increasingly collaborating with foreign capitalists they are forgetting about imperialism. But we the woking class and the people of India on whom the unemployment, lower wages, lower prices for agricultural products are imposed should not forget about imperialism, whatever may be the campaign of the media in the hands of the big capitalists. Capitalism in its highest stage, is imperialism. You cannot have capitalism without imperialism. Therefore we have to recognize the existence of imperialism and we have to fight against it.

(This is as per my understanding of the article of Prabhat Patnaik with the title “Capitalism and Imperialism” as published in “People’s Democrcy” 19-6-2011 issue)

Public Sector Officers to oppose attack on PSUs including BSNL

National Joint Meeting of the representatives of Officers Association from Power, Financial and Telecom Sector along with NCOA was held at APSEB Engineers Association Building, Hyderabad. Com P.Padmanabha Rao, AGS MTNLEA Com Sunil Kumar, GS MTNLEA Com V.K.Tomar from Telecom Sector, Com G.D.Nadaf- GS AIBOC, Com K.Ramakoteswara Rao- GS AIABOF,Com Manaiah- GS SBIOA from Banking sector, Com Shailendra Dubey- Secretary General All India Power Engineers Federation, Com R.Ravindra Kumar President APSEBEA, Com P.Ratnakar Rao AIPEF, Com Pandey - UPPEA,, Com Parabhijit Singh- AIPEF from Power Sector, Com K.Ashok Rao President NCOA, Com Baby Thomas- Secretary General NCOA and Com K.S.N.Raju Advisor NCOA attended. The meeting unanimously resolved to organise National Seminar at Bangalore in the month of July 2011.The meeting further resolved that step by step opposition of the working people should be built up against :
 The Sale of people's assets.

Destruction of BSNL, MTNL and Air India 

Privatisation of the most profitable creamy areas in the power sector through Franchsing and MOU route. 

Building of private and multinational monopolies 
Weakening of the public owned financial sector. 
Sudden reversal of Nuclear Power Policy in favour of import of untried and untested large size nuclear reactors

(News dated 5-6-2011 from the web site sneachq.net)

Obama’s way of revival--Corporates gained, workers lost jobs-- More and more American people turning against free market economy

In the name of overcoming the severe economic crisis that USA faced in 2008, 2009 the President Obama’s Government and the Federal Reserve of America together doled out 13 lakh crores dollars to the big corporates  as bailout funds.With this they were able to come out of their losses and have funds to the extent of 2 lakhs crores dollars. But the Corporates are utilising these funds for buy backs, acquisitions, mergers, and for payment of dividends. They are not utilising it for creation of jobs.

As per the statistics given by the USA’s Labour Department, in May 2011, about 54000 jobs were created newly whereas 1,42,000 full time jobs were lost. At the same time 1,54,000 new jobs have to be created in the month to provide those newly entering in job market. At the same time part time and low paid jobs only are mostly created. In the past 5 months 4,17,000 part time jobs are created. Government employees are being thrown out of their jobs. In a single month 1,03,000 government Teachers were removed. In the name of reducing Government expenditure, about 3 lakh government employees were removed in one year.

The Corporates are utilising this problem of unemployment to argue for more tax concessions from Government, in the name of  providing employment. But the people of America have started thinking critically about the American capitalist system.Majority of the people are thinking that due to globalization the profits of American Corporates are increasing whereas workers are losing jobs. American Commerce Department revealed  that the American Corporates abolished 24 lakhs jobs in America and created 24 lakh jobs in foreign countries. The famous General Electric Company(GE) of America is having 60% of its business in other countries. As per the survey of the famous research institute “Globe Scan”The opinion of the American people is increasingly going against free market economy. 80% of the people in America upheld free market economy as the best economy as per the survey held in 2002. But as per the survey in 2010, only 59% supported this view. American women have become more negative on free market economy. Only 52% of them supported it. Only 42% among  the Americans having less than 20000 dollars per year income supported free market economy.

Globe Scan Chairman Doug Miller stated, “The poll suggest that American business is close to losing its social contract with average American families that has enabled it to prosper in the world. Inspired leadership will be needed to reverse this trend.”

But is it simply the failure of the leadership or the failure of the Capitalist system? Science says it is the failure of the Capitalist system and leadership, even if inspiring, can only lessen the pain, but cannot cure it. The real solution is to change the system.

(Sources: Prajasakti dated 10-6-2011 and the website www.globescan.com)

Obama’s way of revival--Corporates gained, workerjobs More a

NGOs, Babas and the fight against corruption

Corruption is dangerous. Definitely there should be struggles to see that the corrupt are punished and proper laws are made for this. But those fighting  against corruption should not themselves be involved in questionable deeds and acts.

Baba Ramdev’s struggle against corruption is involved in several questionable acts. From the beginning the Government treated him like an emperor, in an abnormal way. There after the Government told that he gave a letter to them regarding withdrawal of the fast, even before the starting of the fast. The Civil  Rights  activist Aruna  Roy criticised the arrangements of the hunger fast camp of Baba Ramdev as Corporate level arrangements. The religious fundamentalist like Sadhvi Ritambara appeared in the hunger strike camp. The way he behaved when he was arrested was also questionable. The way the RSS-BJP are supported  Ramdev’s fast and the way they are trying to encash it makes  Baba Ramdev’s fight against corruption questionable. It gives the impression that all the acts of Baba Ramdev in this regard are part of the game of Sangh Parivar. While several scams took place in UPA Government’s period, the previous NDA Government lead by BJP also involved in several scams. Besides this, Baba Ramdev himself is disputed and facing several allegations against the spiritual empire of Rs 15000 crores run by him. Several struggles took place regarding the conditions of the workers of his factories manufacturing drugs. Such person so much involved in communal politics cannot be treated as above politics. He cannot be termed as a part of the so called civil society.

What is this strange thing recently named as “civil society”? Does it mean that the political parties and their supporters are not part of the civil society? In fact “Civil Society” is the name given to NGOs(Non-Government Organisations) with undeclared incomes. It is to be noted that none of these anti corruption fighters are interested in the struggles on the issues of common man. They did not organise struggles against price rise, against the anti people policies of the Governments, against the neo-liberal policies and privatisation policies which are the root cause of corruption.

Civil Rights Activist Aruna Roy commented as below regarding this fight against corruption lead by Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev:

“In 2007, 25,000 tribal people walked from Bhopal to Delhi to demand settlement of land disputes. There were a few cameras. None followed them on the road to show the welcome and support they got all the way. They were not civil society, but the poor toilers! A Dalit leader said in a public hearing on corruption in Jaipur a few days ago that the middle class which assists the giving and taking of bribes is doing its “prayaschit” (repentance) at Jantar Mantar with havans and bhajans. A demand for democratic representation faces the responsibility of democratic practice. Civil society is a very poor term that conceals more than it reveals. In a country like India, where there are so many fundamental divides of class and caste, the term is even less appropriate. The MKSS has made a distinction between “civil society” and the people, very much as we distinguish between India and Bharat. This has always existed. The power of RTI was that people (Bharat) defined and pushed the need for the law. Civil society (India) obliged by helping fashion it, with sympathy and equality. In this case, the term might actually help explain the obvious disdain for the state and its institutions. While the poor in India sometimes see the state as a potential ally against a large force like a corporate group or the village landlord, this group was united in its lack of faith in the institutions of the state. That is why there was also a large segment that spoke with such contempt for politics and politicians.”

The ruling classes of India(capitalists and landlords lead by big capitalists) who are involved in all such corrupt activities do not want any change in the liberalisation-privatiosation-globalisation policies that are the root cause of the enormous scams. At the same time they want to see that the anger of the middle class against such mega corruption is channelized in ways safe for them and their LPG policies are not questioned by the anti corruption movement. They want Mahaatmas and Babas who are not interested in fighting against the LPG policies for this purpose.  Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev help the ruling classes by not questioning and fighting against LPG(Liberalisation-Privatization-Globalization) policies and in turn the media lead by the big capitalists give prominence to them and make a big propaganda for them. At the same time the media of the big capitalists is taking care not to give any prominent coverage to the struggles of the working class and peasants and rural poor and trade unions against the LPG policies.

Definitely there should be fight against corruption. But it should not be allowed to be channelized in ways useful for the ruling classes. The fight against corruption should be linked with the fight against LPG policies. (Sources –“Prajasakti” Telugu daily dated 8-6-2011 and “Frontline” issue 9, 2011)

A.Raja followed NDA Policies-DoT

A.Raja was following the policies of previous NDA Government-DoT told JPC(Joint parliamentary Committee)

“….A presentation by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to the JPC contains a lengthy account of the policies followed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). ….These policies, according to the DoT, led to a loss of Rs 32,000 crore on account of the decision to move from fixed license fee regime to revenue sharing regime from August 1999….. the presentation made by the DoT secretary as well as in replies to the question from JPC members suggest that Raja's actions were a continuation of past polices…The DoT has told the JPC that it has been providing mobile permits to companies without any restrictions based on policies approved by the NDA regime. This policy was based on Trai's recommendations in October 2003 as well as the decision of the Union Cabinet in the same month, indicating that Raja was only continuing with these policies...Guidelines for the first-come-first serve policy - that is, those who applied for licenses first were placed higher in the queue - was formulated in January 2001, but it was a decision by then telecoms minister in November 2003 that reinforced this as the methodology for dishing out mobile permits and airwaves. …In the CBI chargesheets, Raja has been accused of twisting the First-Come-First-Served to First-Come-First-Paid, but the DoT has said this had happened in the past too when two companies had been issued LoIs (Letter of Intent) on the same day”.(The Economic Times 7-6-2011)

This proves that BJP has no moral right to be a party in the struggle against corruption. The serious charges of corruption against the BJP Chief Minister of Karnataka and the corruption charges against the BJP ministers in Punjab Government indicate to what extent several prominent leaders of BJP are facing charges of corruption. It is a fact that both Congress and BJP when in Government will aid and abet corruption  and when in opposition will “fight” against corruption.

Only the leaders of the Left Parties are not facing corruption charges and  clean and not amassed wealth illegally. But this aspect is not being brought into light by the media since the media are in the hands of big Capitalists who want to focus only the Congress or BJP or other Regional Parties which are supporting their interests.