New Delhi, May 8
While the Congress today played down reports regarding party President Sonia Gandhi’s letter to the Prime Minister drawing attention to the possible adverse impact of free trade agreements with ASEAN countries on domestic agriculture, the Prime Minister’s Office today clarified that Dr Manmohan Singh had written back to allay her concerns.
Putting the record straight, PMO sources today said Dr Singh had assured the Congress President that the government undertakes bilateral and regional economic negotiations only after serious and professional study of the issues concerned to ensure that domestic interests are not hurt.
The Prime Minister’s letter, written on April 20, was in response to Mrs Gandhi’s letter dated April 12 in which she had counselled the government to “very carefully scrutinise’’ India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreements to safeguard the interests of domestic farmers.
While appreciating Mrs Gandhi’s concern, Dr Singh had explained that the government was always careful as far as the agriculture sector was concerned and had often placed quantitative restrictions to protect the interests of Indian farmers. PMO sources said further said that after receipt of Mrs Gandhi’s letter, the Prime Minister’s Trade and Economic Relations Committee (TERC) had also met on May 3 to discuss the current status of negotiations for India-ASEAN Free Trade
Agreements. The discussions are still on and no final decision has been taken on these issues, it was stated.
The clarification by the PMO comes in the backdrop of reports regarding “serious differences” between the Prime Minister and the Congress President on key policy decisions, including the pace of economic liberalisation. Mrs Gandhi’s letter was seen as a major embarrassment to the Prime Minister.
On its part, the Congress was also quick to put a lid on this speculation, stating that Mrs Gandhi had merely forwarded a different perspective on this issue which was based on representations she had received from various quarters. “All other innuendoes are uncalled for,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said here today.
Congress sources maintained that Mrs Gandhi’s letter is in sync with the Common Minimum Programme and it was not in the nature of an order but was merely offering a different view on this issue. At the same time, it also sends out the message that the Congress remains committed to its “pro-farmer and pro-poor” agenda and will not hesitate to restrain its own government if its policies deviate from this commitment.
