Friday, October 08, 2004
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Missing the Point
There was something totally amiss in the recent discussion on the foreigners in Planning Commission panels. Bereft of any interesting topics after Sarvarkar and the National flag, the media took good advantage of the situation.
There are only 15 foreigners against 415 “pure Indians” was the argument in some sections of the media. Yet another was that most of these 15 “foreigners” are “Indians” by virtue of being a Baijal, a Sudipto, a Mehrotra, or a Prabhu, irrespective of whichever institution they are representing.
The context of the controversy is the decision of the Planning Commission of India to set up 19 consultative groups to review the Tenth Plan and its invitation to the representatives of World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Mckinsey & Co etc to be members of these panels. An influential ally of the ruling UPA government, the Left raised objections to the inclusion of representatives of multilateral funding agencies and consultancy firms.
Where the media missed the point in this controversy was that, instead of going into the merits (and demerits) of foreign agencies in India’s top most planning agency, it tried to project it as a ‘Left versus Rest’ fight. Being the speck in the liberalisation-privatisation-globalisation eye, it is easier to make a villain out of the Left.
Whether a Shetty, Sharma or a Singh, the members of these institutions are meant to further the interests of the institution they are representing. The publicly announced positions of the Bank and ADB, favouring privatisation of water and many other core sectors are enough indication of their interests.
Additionally, by including members of institutions run and dominated by other nation-states, we are putting the sovereignty of our nation at stake. Further, the inclusion of representatives of institutions lobbying for drastic change in India’s polices and priorities will be an endorsement of their positions. Abolition of free education, free health and public distribution system etc are few of the long-standing demands of these multi-lateral donor agencies
Media also failed in seeing the defeatist attitude of our power elite, who lacks confidence in our capability and capacity. Today we ask for advice to run our house; tomorrow we may ask them to run it.
The credibility of the Left, who invites and favours multinationals in the states run by them, was also not questioned. Unless the Left learns to ‘walk the talk,’ their contradictions will haunt them to hell.
Though the panels have been dissolved, the discussion in the media could have been much healthier than posing empty questions like, “why the Left is afraid of foreigners?”
There are only 15 foreigners against 415 “pure Indians” was the argument in some sections of the media. Yet another was that most of these 15 “foreigners” are “Indians” by virtue of being a Baijal, a Sudipto, a Mehrotra, or a Prabhu, irrespective of whichever institution they are representing.
The context of the controversy is the decision of the Planning Commission of India to set up 19 consultative groups to review the Tenth Plan and its invitation to the representatives of World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Mckinsey & Co etc to be members of these panels. An influential ally of the ruling UPA government, the Left raised objections to the inclusion of representatives of multilateral funding agencies and consultancy firms.
Where the media missed the point in this controversy was that, instead of going into the merits (and demerits) of foreign agencies in India’s top most planning agency, it tried to project it as a ‘Left versus Rest’ fight. Being the speck in the liberalisation-privatisation-globalisation eye, it is easier to make a villain out of the Left.
Whether a Shetty, Sharma or a Singh, the members of these institutions are meant to further the interests of the institution they are representing. The publicly announced positions of the Bank and ADB, favouring privatisation of water and many other core sectors are enough indication of their interests.
Additionally, by including members of institutions run and dominated by other nation-states, we are putting the sovereignty of our nation at stake. Further, the inclusion of representatives of institutions lobbying for drastic change in India’s polices and priorities will be an endorsement of their positions. Abolition of free education, free health and public distribution system etc are few of the long-standing demands of these multi-lateral donor agencies
Media also failed in seeing the defeatist attitude of our power elite, who lacks confidence in our capability and capacity. Today we ask for advice to run our house; tomorrow we may ask them to run it.
The credibility of the Left, who invites and favours multinationals in the states run by them, was also not questioned. Unless the Left learns to ‘walk the talk,’ their contradictions will haunt them to hell.
Though the panels have been dissolved, the discussion in the media could have been much healthier than posing empty questions like, “why the Left is afraid of foreigners?”
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