NEW DELHI, Feb 6: With the government having had its way over Mumbai and Delhi airport modernisation, Left parties on Sunday expressed concern at the manner in which the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was facilitating foreign direct investment (FDI) in ‘vital’ sectors and have decided to meet after consultations within the parties comprising the Left Front.
Representatives of CPM, CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc, who met for a discussion on the twin issues of Iran and fallout of the airport modernisation controversy, said the decisions taken on privatisation were in violation of the national common minimum programme and interests of the people.
But the statement issued at the end of the meeting did not specify which sectors of the economy Left parties were referring to. The Left parties seemed to view the government’s success in prevailing on the airports issue as a precursor of more reform initiatives.
Left leaders felt that the government’s ‘brazenness’ on the AAI employees’ strike showed it was in a mood to take on the Left. “If we are not alert, we will fall into a trap where we will continue to oppose and also support the government with no real say at all,” claimed a Left leader.
In reflection of this concern, the statement after the meeting said, “The Left parties express deep concern at the manner in which the Manmohan government is going ahead with the policies of privatisation.”—By arrangement with the Times of India
