Opinion Food Security

An editorial says that the only way to solve the problems of hunger and food insecurity is to enact a food security law that ensures that each family in the country,both BPL and APL,gets 35 kg of foodgrains every month at Rs 2 per kg.

The article argues that the government is refusing to release the excess stock of foodgrains held in the godowns to the states at BPL prices despite millions of tonnes of grain rotting in open spaces. “The former finance minister,now the president,had told Parliament that the government would need to spend at least Rs 20,000 crores to create spaces for storing the foodgrains that will be procured in the current season. Yet,the government refuses to release these stocks and instead is seeking to export them for profit,keeping our own people hungry,” it says.

BANGLADESH BOGEY

The CPI has criticised the BJP for raising the bogey of illegal immigration from Bangladesh and blaming it for the violence that has gripped Assam,although the Congress state government has come in for criticism too. “Though the land area was simmering with tension for past few months over disputes involving land in over 50 villages,the Congress government of the state did not take any precautionary measures. It actually ignored the entire region,” the editorial in CPI journal New Age says.

The editorial argues that the BJP has charged that the root cause of the trouble is large-scale illegal migration from Bangladesh without substantiating its claims. “For the BJP,it is a Hindu-Muslim conflict. Even the Bodo leaders have refuted this assertion,” it adds. “Fact is that the affected Muslims in this region are [stet living there for decades. There had been no massive influx from Bangladesh in the recent period… Now to raise the bogey is just a sinister move to communalise the conflict,” it adds.

BJP,the Biggest loser

An editorial in CPI(ML) weekly ML Update talks about the political scenario post-presidential election. It claims that the main opposition party,the BJP,emerged as the biggest loser from the poll,as it could have been an opportunity for the BJP to showcase the potential of the NDA as a rallying point for non-Congress,non-Left forces. “But in the event,two of the BJP’s long-standing allies,Shiv Sena and the JD(U),deserted the BJP and sided with the Congress,indicating that in today’s politics,corporate preference prevails over ‘coalition dharma,’” it says.

Claiming that “the drama of political succession” in the Congress seems ready to be resolved with Rahul Gandhi declaring his intent to play a ‘pro-active role’ in the affairs of the Congress and the government,the CPI(ML) feels the ruling UPA is now gearing for 2014 Lok Sabha election.

“By every indication,the Congress will try to use the last two years of the lame duck prime minister to intensify the neoliberal economic assault,while doing everything possible to project Rahul and corner the BJP/NDA over the issue of leadership,” it predicts.

Compiled by Manoj C.G.