View-point

Insensitive Campaign

Congress contests BJP claim NEW DELHI: The Congress on 8 January challenged the BJP-NDA claim of development, stating that the overall investment rate has fallen by four per cent in respect of the GDP during the last five years. It said the rate of investment had fallen from a peak of 27 per cent of GDP in 1995-96 to around 23 per cent in 2003-04 and that manufacturing investment stood at an 11-year low. "The need has been of investment, but all that the BJP has offered is disinvestment." Stating that both public and private sector investments had been on a downward swing in the past five years compared to the years when the Congress was in power, the AICC secretary, Shri Jairam Ramesh, said : "Since this Swadeshi Government is eager for a Videshi certificate, a report of J.M. Morgan Stanely shows that the domestic investment rate if falling." He said, according to a recent report of the World Bank on the Indian economy, the foreign exchange reserve accumulation of the past few years had been facilitated by the sluggishness of the private sector and interest rates have dived south, primarily because of low investment demand in India. Despite improved profitability, banks were investing more in Government securities than in agriculture and industry. Low investment had led to deceleration of employment.

All India Congress Committee, Chief Spokesman, Shri Jaipal Reddy stated on December 31, 2003 that as the year draws to a close, the Congress notes with concern the attempt by the BJP to exploit yet another divide in society. Since the early 1990s, we have warned of the BJP attempt to polarize India through its crude hindutva propaganda. Clearly that did not work. Despite three high-pitched attempts, the BJP was unable to form a government on its own.

Now the BJP is trying another ruse to retain power. Citing the so-called "feel good factor," the party is now trying to exploit the divide between India's haves and have-nots. Unless it is challenged and defeated, the BJP's latest campaign has the makings of a disaster. Pitting the have-nots versus the haves is a sure-fire recipe for massive social unrest.

The "feel good factor" is a lie like much of everything else the BJP stands for. Consider the facts :

·In 1979-80, when the Congress returned to power, the GDP was estimated by the Planning Commission to be Rs. 97,051 crores. In 1999-2000, when the BJP cobbled up the NDA to grab power at the Centre, the GDP had increased to Rs. 11,48,442 crores. In the two decades of mostly Congress rule, the GDP grew in excess of 1000 percent. Adjusted for inflation, that averages to nearly six percent a year.

·Between 1999-2000 and 2002-2003, the GDP increased to Rs. 13,20,733 crores, according to figures put out by the Press Information Bureau. In the four years since the BJP-led government has been in power, the GDP grew just about 15 percent. That averages to less than four percent a year.

·Thus the BJP has been unable to sustain the growth rates chalked up under the Congress.

More important than the statistics, however, is the sheer irresponsibility of the BJP's hype. Just imagine : the deputy prime minister declared India to a "developed" country. Either Mr. Advani is gullible or disingenuous. Either way, his statement is not becoming of a senior minister in the government. Consider the facts :

• Even today, nearly half of the country's population lives in less than a fifty rupees a day.

• The illiteracy rate is still more than one third of the population.

• Nearly 70 out of every thousand babies die within a year of birth; of the remaining, nearly 30 per thousand die before they reach the age of five.

• The vast majority of the population has no access to water and sanitation.

• There is an investment famine that is indicated by low interest rates, high institutional liquidity and growing foreign exchange reserves.

• Whatever economic growth there is _ and even the government's exaggerated claim of the seven percent growth this year is not much given the low base of the past year _ it does not create jobs. Certainly nowhere near the one-crore jobs per year promised by the prime minister.

Mr. Advani and his acolytes are proponents of the "feel good factor." Under their guidance, the government of India is spending several crores of the taxpayers' money on the "India Shining" advertising campaign. The campaign is insensitive, an insult to the huge segment of our population that barely ekes out an existence.

Only the Congress stands between them and the sellout of the national interest.