POLITICAL SYSTEM INFLUENCED BY BIG CORPORATES: KARAT
New Delhi February 20:
The political system of the country is being vitiated and increasingly coming under the direct influence and power of the "big capitals", CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said.
"If you make an analysis of the professions or the occupations of the elected representatives starting from the state legislatures to parliament, you (will) find people who are directly in big business, who are direct executives, CEOs of corporates, are occupying the benches in the parliament," he said.
"And they are sitting on committees of Parliament which decides policies regarding their own sector, regarding their own industries," he said. Karat was speaking at a panel discussion on "Vision for a New India" at a function organised by the Indian Press Agency to celebrate its Golden Jubilee here. CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan also participated in the panel discussion.
Karat said that it is the Parliamentary democratic system alone which has protected the country so far from much of the dangers which visited upon other countries and society. "But the political system we have is increasingly being vitiated...Earlier we used to attack, criticise the fact that you have elected representatives in the legislature, in the parliament, who are acting at the behest of the big business, corporate interests...But today you can't say that any more because those corporate interests or the big business have got themselves elected into parliament and into the legislatures," Karat said.
The political system of the country is increasingly coming under direct influence and power of the big capitals, Karat said. "The path which the present government and the previous governments have gone into in the country particularly in last two decades, goes against every thing which was set out originally by the founders of our constitution," he added.
Criticising the UPA government for its policy on FDI, Karat said, "it is harmful for our national sovereignty. This does away with any conception of self reliance." He also criticised the government for allowing FDI into the retail sector. "So far the government has said that it will not be allowing FDI in the retail trade. Then they said they allow it in single brand retail. But now you can get an Indian entity to funnel in the foreign capital into your retail sector," he said.
Addressing the programme, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said, "If you look at the country today it will appear as if a section of people have taken over the whole mantle of defining what is patriotism, what is Hindu culture and what is Indian culture also. They consider themselves as super patriots." On Karat's deliberations on the topic "Vision of a New India", he said, "I am one with Prakash (Karat)."
New Delhi February 20:
The political system of the country is being vitiated and increasingly coming under the direct influence and power of the "big capitals", CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said.
"If you make an analysis of the professions or the occupations of the elected representatives starting from the state legislatures to parliament, you (will) find people who are directly in big business, who are direct executives, CEOs of corporates, are occupying the benches in the parliament," he said.
"And they are sitting on committees of Parliament which decides policies regarding their own sector, regarding their own industries," he said. Karat was speaking at a panel discussion on "Vision for a New India" at a function organised by the Indian Press Agency to celebrate its Golden Jubilee here. CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan also participated in the panel discussion.
Karat said that it is the Parliamentary democratic system alone which has protected the country so far from much of the dangers which visited upon other countries and society. "But the political system we have is increasingly being vitiated...Earlier we used to attack, criticise the fact that you have elected representatives in the legislature, in the parliament, who are acting at the behest of the big business, corporate interests...But today you can't say that any more because those corporate interests or the big business have got themselves elected into parliament and into the legislatures," Karat said.
The political system of the country is increasingly coming under direct influence and power of the big capitals, Karat said. "The path which the present government and the previous governments have gone into in the country particularly in last two decades, goes against every thing which was set out originally by the founders of our constitution," he added.
Criticising the UPA government for its policy on FDI, Karat said, "it is harmful for our national sovereignty. This does away with any conception of self reliance." He also criticised the government for allowing FDI into the retail sector. "So far the government has said that it will not be allowing FDI in the retail trade. Then they said they allow it in single brand retail. But now you can get an Indian entity to funnel in the foreign capital into your retail sector," he said.
Addressing the programme, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said, "If you look at the country today it will appear as if a section of people have taken over the whole mantle of defining what is patriotism, what is Hindu culture and what is Indian culture also. They consider themselves as super patriots." On Karat's deliberations on the topic "Vision of a New India", he said, "I am one with Prakash (Karat)."
