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Opposition slams govt's association with WTO

Barely three days ahead of the WTO conference in Doha, several opposition parties on Tuesday lashed out at the NDA government's association with the global trading regime and its economic policies, alleging these had resulted in a 'sellout' of the country's interests.

Apprehending that the government would "succumb to pressure from developed countries" at the new round of WTO negotiations beginning on November 9, a rally of the People's Front adopted a declaration demanding that the association of Indian agriculture and industry with the global trading regime be revoked immediately.

Addressing the rally, former Prime Ministers V P Singh and H D Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan and some other leaders of the Left parties lashed out at the economic liberalisation, alleging it had caused immense sufferings to the farmers and others in the poorer sections of the society.

"The economic policies pursued by the governments of Congress and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party Janata Party) over the last 10 years has brought immense sufferings to farmers, labourers and other poorer sections of the society," V P Singh told the crowd of around 10,000 people gathered under the banner of WTO Virodhi Jan Abhiyan (People's campaign against WTO).

"There is a campaign going on to eliminate the poor people in league with the WTO," he charged and emphasised that the government of India should dissociate itself from the regime immediately.

Stating that the WTO was beneficial only for the rich nations and people, Singh said the developed nations had not fulfilled their promises while India had been made to compromise at many levels.

The government should adopt a strong stance at the coming WTO meet and assert that there would be no talks till the rich nations fulfilled their earlier promises, he said.

He demanded a White Paper on the government's negotiations with the WTO.

Deve Gowda said the rally had been organised to send a message to the government that its destructive economic policies would not be tolerated.

Mulayam Singh Yadav demanded a review of the impact of the 10-year-old liberalisation on the country.

Alleging that the association with WTO had led to 'economic slavery' of the country, he said the time was ripe for India to dissociate from the regime as the economic situation of the US was "bad and world markets were reeling under economic recession".

Bardhan said the government while associating with the WTO had said it would lead to increase in business here. "However, the result has been the opposite," he said.

He said the government's approach at the coming WTO meet would be watched keenly and if the nation's interests were compromised, it would be forced to go.

Surjeet said if a 'united' fight was launched against the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, it would "either bow or go".

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