HVK Archives: The press and the CPI(M)
The press and the CPI(M) - The Hindu
Sitaram Yechury
()
31 March 1997
Title : The press and the CPI(M)
Author : Sitaram Yechury
Publication : The Hindu
Date : March 31, 1997
Newspapers reported that the Prime Minister, while conferring
awards in memory of the indomitable G.K. Reddy recently, bemoaned
the tendency amongst scribes to sensationalise. This reminds one
of an old story about a bishop who was sent by the Vatican on a
goodwill tour to the United States. The departing bishop was,
however, warned to be careful with the press as it was notorious.
On his arrival in New York. a reporter asked him if he was planning
to visit night clubs. The bishop, scandalised, retorted, "Night
clubs? Are there any night clubs in New York?" and walked away
with the confidence of a person who had skirted an embarrassing
question. But the next morning he was aghast at seeing banner
headlines that screamed "Are there any night clubs in New York?"
And the item explained that this was the first question that the
holy bishop asked upon arrival!
This newspaper culture of the liberalisation ideology, as reflected
in sections of the press, seems to have overtaken, by a long
stretch, the fondly-hoped for quantum of foreign investment.
A case in point are the incredible stories, in sections of the
press, that appear day in and out about the CPI(M). The fabricated
reports would have one believe that the CPI (M) leaders are tearing
at each other's hair. Take, for instance, the following. Recently
I was asked to deliver the foundation day address by the Bihar
Legislative Council on ,the Challenges before Parliamentary
Democracy." In response to a query, in the presence of the Chief
Minister, two former Chief Ministers, the Chairman of the council,
MLAs and MLCs, I explained the CPI (M)'s position of not joining
the United Front Government. During the entire proceedings, there
was no reference to any individual leader of the CPI(M). Yet, the
next morning a leading Bengali daily carried banner headlines
screaming "CPI(M) does not run on Jyoti Basu's writ: Yechury!" The
treatment the bishop received seems to pale into insignificance.
Of particular interest are the stories regarding the CPI(M)'s stand
on the recent budget. The Politburo of the CPI(M) and its leaders
have consistently taken the position that while it will oppose some
aspects of the budget that it considers anti-people and against the
interests of the country, the party will in no event bring down the
government. Given its role in the formation of the United Front,
the CPI(M) is committed to supporting this non-Congress secular
government. This seems precisely the reason for the ire of the
fourth estate. How dare we support the government and yet oppose
some aspects of this "dream budget?"
What then is the CPI(M)'s position on the budget', First, it is not
only pro-rich but it is so at the expense of the vast majority
particularly the poor. The tax concessions provided amount to an
enormous loss of over Rs. 12,000 crores to the exchequer. At the
same time, the government spent nearly Rs. 10,000 crores less on
plan expenditure under those sectors that primarily cater for the
poor people's welfare. In other words, it squeezed the poor to
benefit the rich. What is worse, the allocations for these sectors
registered a decline in real terms this year. Alarming is the fact
that interest payments this year will be nearly Rs. 3,000 crores
more than the entire fiscal deficit. Which means that Rs. 3,000
crores from the government's revenue will go towards this instead
of for people's welfare. The entire fiscal deficit will go for
interest payment! In other words, mortgage the economy further to
service previous debt and at the same time squeeze the poor
further.
Secondly. the budget has shifted the strategy of revenue collection
from taxation to administered price hikes. The former taxes those
who can afford to pay, while the latter squeezes those who cannot
through inflation. The budget itself seeks an inflation rate of
eight per cent. This is necessary along with a seven per cent
growth of' the GDP (gross domestic product) to peg the fiscal
deficit at 4.5 per cent of the GDP. The higher the rate of
inflation, the lower will be the fiscal deficit as a proportion of
the GDP This inbuilt need for a higher inflation rate will erode
the real earnings of the people, constantly imposing further
burdens.
Thirdly, the budget starves the public sector in vital areas and
throws them open to exploitation by multinationals. It initiates
the opening up of the vital insurance sector. Thus the cherished
goal of self-reliance is seriously undermined.
All these go contrary to the United Front's pro-poor commitments
stated in the Common Minimum Programme. The CPI(M) had suggested
concrete alternative sources which could be tapped for resource
mobilisation, instead of betraying the people (The Hindu, dated
February 17, 1997). These measures would have ensured a larger
spending on schemes for people's welfare, for the much needed
economic infrastructure and would have helped reduce the fiscal
deficit. These included taxing the rural rich.
A particular scribe found this positively revolting. How dare we
tax the rural rich? (The Times of India, March 11). To
substantiate his point, he invokes, of all people, Stalin! It is a
compliment of the greatest measure to Stalin that his ghost is
always resurrected to attack those who propose pro-poor policies.
Stalin's policy towards the peasantry, we are informed, ruined
Russia's agriculture. So will the CPI(M)'s suggestion of taxing the
rural rich. Fascinating pretension to wisdom! The entire
collected works of this scribe will not merit even a footnote
reference in the writings of eminent non-marxist historians like E.
H. Carr, who has documented the successes of collectivisation in
building the USSR as a power that defeated Hitler and fascism. A
victory that led to the collapse of colonialism and gave freedom to
many countries including India. Such facts of history, however,
seem inconvenient.
Invoking the dark shades of the saffron, this scribe describes this
budget as the best treatment of Indians since the Mughal invasion!
Which Indians? And what treatment? It needs to be emphasised that
the last of the Mughal emperors was declared a symbol of freedom
from the colonial rule during the first war of independence by none
other than the devout Hindu Rani of Jhansi. The benefits this
budget has provided have made such people bid goodbye to their
sense of' history.
Before concluding one cannot but turn to another area. While an
editor of a national daily was receiving the award from the Prime
Minister, his staff was busy concocting an amazing story. The
banner headline of his paper screamed, "India vs China" which side
is Yechury batting' " This was in an apparent reference to a
television interview during which I was asked about the 1962
Indo-China conflict. I said that, that is now history. Both
countries are today engaged in improving relations. And it is in
India's interest, as endorsed by all. to normalise relations and
settle the dispute through negotiations. Yet the jingoists of the
saffron variety, ever keen on depicting patriots as anti-national,
resorted to such gross distortion. The saffron think-tank
immediately went into action and spread such stories through
syndicated columns. And all this while the BJP was preparing to
receive a Chinese delegation coming to India for the first time at
its invitation! With such jingoists around is there need for
enemies?
Finally, let us return to our good old bishop. After the initial
encounter with the press, he went to deliver his first lecture. He
began by asking if there were mediapersons among the audience.
Some hands went up. He said that as he came from a small town in
Italy, his repertoire of stories and anecdotes was small. As he was
on a long tour, he was bound to repeat and therefore requested the
press not to print these accounts. For, if printed. he could not
repeat them and the audience attraction would diminish. He was
happy that the press acceded to his request. But what were the
headlines the next morning? "Bishop tells many stories - all
unprintable!"
(The writer is a member of the CPI(M) Politburo.)
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