CPI(M) opposes privatisation of Railways; takes dig at PM Modi’s pitch of self-reliance

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 2

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The CPI(M) on Thursday opposed Centre’s decision to privatise Indian Railways, saying it would jeopardise country’s interest including its “Aatma Nirbhar” campaign.

Taking a dig at the decision, it said that contrary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for country’s “self-reliance”, the privatisation will roll up to “self-subservience”.

“This is the first time that this is happening in independent India. The private sector utilising the network established over centuries with all the required infrastructure will run passenger trains making super profits,” the CPI(M) stated.

The party’s Polit Bureau considered the privatisation issue and concluded it would jeopardise country’s overall interest, including the economy as Railways was the lifeline of the country and catered to broad spectrum of lives of people.

The government has bitten the bullet by plunging for privatisation including the running of passenger trains by private investors over the Indian Railways network.

The issue was also a subject of debate for long in a bid to reform and modernise the public transporter.

The CPI(M) though feels that the Indian Railways remains the most important network uniting the country and providing public transportation for crores of our people.

The livelihood of crores of our people is dependent on the Railways. Hence the privatisation undermines the basis of India’s self-reliant economy, it said.

“Contrary to the claim that this will boost job generation, past experience has shown that such privatisation results in a huge job loss creating insecurity for crores of employees of the Indian Railways.”

“Prime Minister Modi refuses to learn from international experience of how such privatisation of public transport has imposed unprecedented difficulties and burdens on the people,” the CPIM) said.

The party asked the government to rescind its decision, and underlined that the Indian Railways is a public service. Its character cannot be undermined, it said.