Congress to support reforms
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 21 — In a positive gesture, the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, today offered her party’s cooperation on the government’s initiatives pertaining to economic reforms and legislation that were in tune with its election manifesto.

Addressing the 72nd annual session of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), she said the Congress approach would be "constructive and responsible."

"Just because our opponents played politics when they were in the opposition and now that they are in power have suddenly discovered virtues of pragmatism does not mean that we will also behave similarly," she said.

The Congress President said her party had showed greater responsibility when it came to key economic legislations and the position would remain the same.

In his welcome address, FICCI Chairman Sudhir Jalan welcomed Mrs Gandhi’s gesture of appealing to the President to spare the life of one of the convicted assassins of Rajiv Gandhi. Only a few were capable of such a gesture that highlighted the value of motherhood and statemanship, he said.

He sought the support of the Congress in passing various economic Bills relating to insurance, intellectual property rights, foreign exchange and money laundering.

Labour reforms was another aspect that required cooperation from the Opposition. FICCI was not against labour, but it must perform and be productive. "If only 5 per cent of the ‘unmotivated’ labour force was replaced by the same per cent of productive force, the nation could unleash the latent power of the economy," he added.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi underscored the need for reforming the banking and financial sectors for mopping up funds much needed for the ever-increasing requirements of the infrastructure sector to ensure a 7-8 per cent economic growth.

Mrs Sonia said broad directions and thrust on economic policies had continued unchanged in the past few years, despite several changes of governments.

She warned that India’s efforts to become a global economic leader would be frustrated if social harmony was not maintained and the representative parliamentary democratic framework in the country was not strengthened.

Mrs Gandhi regretted that India’s social fabric was being threatened with attempts to divide the country on the basis of cast, language and religion and said "without social harmony in the land of rich diversity we cannot hope to become a global power."

Acknowledging that the literate and the elite were increasingly being disillusioned by the polity, Mrs Gandhi said "noise of politics is music of democracy. There is a need for a strong Centre, stronger states and an even stronger panchayat system."

India could be propelled into economic leadership only with a high 7-8 per cent growth, which would require improved international trade, finances, technological advancement and mopping up of resources from overseas Indian population.

But the government must ensure that economic development was seen and experienced in the uplift of society, she cautioned, while reminding that India still had the largest population of illiterates and the poor in the world.

She said strong action was required to expand and improve the quality of basic social services such as elementary education and primary healthcare to empower poorer sections to share equitably the fruits of development.

"At the same time we will also need to strengthen a social safety net to ensure that the burden of adjustment in the process of economic growth does not unduly fall on the shoulders of vulnerable sections," she said.

Calling for a new green revolution in the field of agriculture to enhance the productivity of small and marginal farmers, the Congress President said; "We must recapture the spirit of pioneers of early revolutions and bring to agriculture the same type of enthusiasm we bring to bear these days to information technology."

She said it was also essential to revamp the food distribution system to ensure access to essential commodities by the poor.

Mrs Sonia said it was time to think in terms of partnership between government and industry, government and social action groups and NGOs, and industry and NGOs to take on the challenges ahead.

"Being a scientific or nuclear power has little meaning if one out of every three children are born underweight and are malnourished," she added.

Electoral reforms

Home Minister L.K. Advani said the Government would soon bring a comprehensive electoral reform Bill to ensure that money, muscle and ministerial powers did not distort elections.

The country could be freed from the menace of corruption and electoral maladies only by the strong will of the peel at the helm of affairs to mobilise public opinion. The Government was committed to cleanse the electoral process, he told industrialists at the FICCI meeting.

Mr Advani said the government was willing to "do its bit’’ in changing the destiny of the country in the 21st century the cynicism about changes in the minds of the people had to be removed.

"The allround cynicism that things can’t change is very harmful and more than laws it is the determination of the public at large that can propel the growth of the country," he said.

Stating that the 21st century would belong to India, the Home Minister said determined efforts for a better tomorrow could mitigate the regrets about non-fulfilment in the past.

Expressing concern over India’s low-ranking in the United Nations human development index, he said underdevelopment was largely attributable to the failure of successive governments to transform "swaraj’’ (self-government) into "su-raj’’ (good government).

Excessive government control in the economic sphere had bred corruption and inefficiency, he said, adding the government should get out of its traditional role and play a stronger role in facilitation, policy implementation and regulation.

"Without these, economic reforms will not bear fruit and India’s global leadership will remain a distant dream," he added.