Crusader Mamata should discard her own finance minister Amit Mitra first!

Palash Chandra Biswas

Journalist

Provided Mamata is honest enough to lead anti FDI crusade, she should discard her own finance minister Amit Mitra first who was imported from USA and represents industry via FICCI. Because corporate elements, the extra constitutional elements making policies are most responsible for economic ethnic cleansing. If Mamata is committed to Ma, Mati Manush, she must begin charity at home.

Palash Biswas

Mobile: 919903717833

Skype ID: palash.biswas44

Email: palashbiswaskl@gmail.com

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today announced that she would lead a party demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 1 to urge the Centre to withdraw "anti-people" decisions on FDI in retail, cap on subsidised LPG and diesel price hike.As the Marxist chose an opportune time to pull of irrespective of consequence while Indo Us nuclear deal was operationalised. Didi almost followed her rivals as economic policies never did lose the direction , only the implementation was in the pipeline.Provided Mamata is honest enough to lead anti FDI crusade, she should discard her own finance minister Amit Mitra first who was imported from USA and represents industry via FICCI. Because corporate elements, the extra constitutional elements making policies are most responsible for economic ethnic cleansing. If Mamata is committed to Ma, Mati Manush, she must begin charity at home.

On the other hand,US ambassador Nancy Powell's meeting with Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, barely a couple of days after the latter quit the UPA government at the Centre, has sparked off speculation within political circles.Times of India reprts.

US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here Monday. Powell called on Banerjee at the West Bengal secretariat and held talks with her for about 40 minutes.

Both Mamata and Powell remained tight lipped over their meeting!

According to sources, Powell was keen to know more of the reservations that Mamata has against Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail in the meeting that lasted nearly 45 minutes.

It was Mamata's opposition to FDI in retail that prompted her decision to quit the UPA. "US companies will be the beneficiaries if FDI is allowed in retail.

There is strong belief that the Manmohan Singh government took the decision to allow FDI in retail under pressure from the US. Mamata's objection to the decision and the subsequent pullout from the government at the Centre, came as a shot in the arm for parties in the opposition like the BJP and the Left.

Powell may have wanted to know the exact issues that has led to this opposition. This would help to develop a strategy through which undue fears within the general population may be allayed," a source revealed. The UPA is also planning to bring the insurance and pension bills in Parliament soon.

US companies are likely to be stakeholders if these bills get passed. With the US realising that any reforms of this kind are likely to face stiff opposition in India, it is likely to formulate a different strategy to try and help the Centre in its attempts to bring about economic reforms. This is not the first time that Powell has met Mamata.

A meeting between the two was convened earlier this year before US secretary of state Hillary Clinton's visit to India. "After that meeting, Powell had heaped praise on Mamata and commended her coming to power in the state.

Even Hillary had met Mamata during her visit to India and discussed the possible areas that can be explored for better economic ties. Mamata and the Trinamool has always held a certain level of importance in US-India policy, particularly after the Left was trounced. The US wouldn't want Mamata to step into the shoes of the Left as the biggest US-baiter in India," the source added.

Meanwhile rating pressure continues to mount up. It is quite impossible for Dr. Manmohan singh and his government to go back reverse gear. You may not delink with US economy under global compulsion which seem to be greater than political compulsion.Global ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which has threatened to downgrade India to junk status, today lowered its 2012 GDP growth forecast for the country to 5.5 per cent citing the weak monsoons and investor sentiments.The lower growth estimate of 5.5 per cent is down by about one percentage point from the earlier one, it said in a note. In the revised estimates published today, the agency has also forecast lower growths for many other countries, including China. Mraket is quite apolitical. it has no sympathy with the common man. since you adopted or supported market economy, you have to to do everything in the interest of the market captured by foreign investment institutions. The rating fluctuate in accordance with foreign capital inflow. Political equations may not change this reality.The politician seem not to care for Aam Aadmi stranded and seized within disaster after disaster because the economy has denied agrarian identity of the nation. Expansion of market is the only destination earmarked. Hence social sector is opened up for government expenditure to pump in cash to empower the rural world with purchasing power. The sustenance of the rural world is linked to agrarian crisis, it is never considered.Service sector and construction happen to be indicators of economy, and indiscriminate urbanisation and industrialisation are the priorities without addressing agrarian crisis or the fundamentals of production system.

Only political anti FDI crusade may not solve the problem at all. Yes, mamata`s next venture may boost her image as prime minister material for her populist tsunami! However the Aaam Aadmi is ensured for another starving season ahead as Country's foodgrains production is projected to decline by 10 per cent in the kharif season of this year at 117.18 million tonnes due to deficient monsoon and drought in some states.However, the government expects to make up for the decline in output during the Rabi season (winter sown crop).

"Let us fight the battle boldly and unitedly. In a democracy, people are supreme. Our voice is the voice of the people. We must raise our voice, so that the government must reconsider," Banerjee said in a post on Facebook.She said, "We all will be present to highlight these issues and request the Central government to withdraw the anti-people decisions."

Banerjee said the party's fight for the cause of common people continued with the help of 'Maa, Mati, Manush' throughout the country.

"I am thankful to all of you for supporting our persistent protest against the unethical decisions on price hike of diesel, restriction of LPG cylinders, increase in fertiliser prices and permission of FDI in retail, which are not in the interest of the common people," she said.She also requested her Facebook fans to tell their friends to join the demonstration at 1:00 PM on the day.

TMC, which has 19 members in the Lok Sabha, withdrew support to the Congress-led UPA government and pulled out its six ministers from the government on September 21 on these issues.

Foreign capital inflow enveloping Indian economy is not a brand new phenomenon. It began with green revolution and had been sustained during Indira and Rajiv regime.Dr. Manmohan Singh worked as a booster only. Moreover, real liberalisation got momentum with resurrection of Hindutva and the NDA government set the ball running. Mamata worked as Railway minister in NDA as well as UPA government. She may not disown the responsibility for all that happened during these years.She had been an advocate for private public partnership!

For example, after declining for three consecutive months, foreign direct investment (FDI) in India increased by about 60 per cent to USD 1.76 billion in July. In July 2011, the country had received foreign investment worth USD 1.10 billion. However, according to latest data of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), during April- July 2012 the FDI inflows dipped to USD 6.18 billion from USD 14.6 billion in the same period last year.Mamata and her party witnessed foreign capital boom all these years.

WHO IS AMIT MITRA? A FACTSHEET

                            Thu, 2011-04-07 23:52 — Maidul
FICCI Secretary General, Amit Mitra has joined the Trinamool Congress and is contesting the 2011 West Bengal Assembly Election from Khardah. He was also appointed as the chairman of Railway Expert Committee by the Trinamool Supremo and India's Railway Minister. This blog features Mitra's politico-ideological inclinations and pose some questions to the Trinamool Congress on these issues. (Attached photo captures Amit Mitra with US Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer, courtsey: Flickr & Google Images).

Amit Mitra’s political training in RSS’ student wing ABVP:
“FICCI secretary general Amit Mitra had his early grounding in the BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) and can call a number of BJP leaders as his friends”
(The Financial Express, 14th May, 2004): Click Here

Q: Why has Trinamool Congress nominated a person like Amit Mitra, who has ‘early grounding’ in ABVP and is politically close to BJP?

Amit Mitra opposed the agitation against Tata Motors Plant in Singur:
“The Tata project could have brought about a major change in the industrial scenario in the state. This was not a one-off auto project, but would have given a boost to a host of ancillaries as well.”
(Rediff.com, 4th October, 2008): Click Here

Q. Has Amit Mitra changed his position vis-à-vis Singur OR has the Trinamool changed its position?

Amit Mitra supports FDI in Retail:
“FICCI Secretary General Amit Mitra suggests ushering in retail FDI with a stipulation that large retailers will procure a major part of their supplies locally and work closely with farmers in imparting better knowhow.”
(India Today, internet version: 11th April, 2011): Click Here

“To increase the share of organised retail…Ficci has advocated a multi-pronged strategy that includes relaxing the foreign direct investment norms, grant of industry status to retail, simplification of the tax structure, upgrade of manpower skills and a check on counterfeiting…‘Archaic laws and regulations should be done away with’ said FICCI president Amit Mitra.”
(Business Standard, 23rd April, 2007): Click Here
Q. Why has Trinamool nominated a supporter of FDI in Retail when it stated in its 2009 Lok Sabha Manifesto that it is opposed to the entry of MNCs in retail trade?

Amit Mitra advocates SEZs:
“A few land agitations or a few denotifications sought by a handful of developers cannot and should not detract from the success of the SEZ policy in the country. Besides, while there may be agitations in Bengal or Orissa, there are absolutely no agitations in Tamil Nadu or Gujarat over SEZs.”
(The Telegraph, Kolkata; 28th June, 2009): Click Here

Q. Why has an ardent supporter of SEZs been nominated as a candidate of the Trinamool, which claims to be the ‘anti-SEZ’ party according to its 2009 Lok Sabha Manifesto (p. 33, p. 35)? Has Trinamool now become a pro-SEZ party?

Amit Mitra supports Hire and Fire:
FICCI’s position on Labour Reforms: “by flexible labour laws, FICCI did not just mean freedom to hire and fire labour, but also enabling contract labour.”
(Business Line, 21st January, 2001): Click Here

“Amit Mitra, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said labour reforms were a must to give a thrust to Indian economy.”
(Rediff.com, 10th September, 2001): Click Here
Q. Why has Trinamool nominated a candidate who wants to push anti-labour changes in labour laws?

Amit Mitra is a Neoliberal Hawk:
A Duke University Newsletter report titled “Mitra Urges Indian Liberalization” reported that he had set up a ‘think tank’ whose purpose was “to push the government of India to liberalize the Indian economy.”
(Economics at Duke Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 2, Summer 1993): Click Here

Q. Does the Trinamool share Amit Mitra’s vision of liberalization and neoliberal reforms?

Amit Mitra batted for Enron:
“You will be happy to know that I personally went on CNN and condemned the cancellation of the Enron deal” (Rediff.com, 1st November, 1996): Click Here

Q: Why is Trinamool backing a supporter of a fraud company like Enron?

Amit Mitra is close to the American establishment:
“ ‘We know Bush is good for India. But in Kerry's case we would have been hopeful that he would be good for India’, says Amit Mitra, secretary-general, FICCI”
(India Today, 15th November, 2004): Click Here

“We have political comfort with the Bush administration.”
(Rediff.com, 30th September, 2005): Click Here

Q. Is Amit Mitra the link between the Trinamool and the US administration?

AMIT MITRA IS NOT MERELY A CANDIDATE CONTESTING ON TRINAMOOL CONGRESS TICKET

HE REPRESENTS THE REAL NEOLIBERAL FACE OF THE TMC:
HIDDEN UNDER THE GARB OF POPULIST DEMAGOGY
http://www.pragoti.in/node/4351