Lastly, the veiled threat to the public sector undertakings (PSUs) which are the employment providers to millions of Dalits, tribals and minorities has finally come out. The sweet talk of “people’s participation” in disinvestment of PSUs is nothing but a farce and a scam in the making. Who these “people” are, is any body’s guess. They will be the corporate sector in disguise who will “disinvest” the PSUs to the detriment of the profit-making units. The budget mentions no safeguards. The government should actually sell off the stakes to “people” among SCs, STs, and minorities and empower them economically. This will be the true meaning of disinvestment for the “people.”

The Congress party has never stopped throwing crumbs at the weaker sections just to make them believe in their programmes. The budget in this second phase of the UPA is an eye opener, more so on the Dalit front. The shared sweets and food at the Dalit basties in Uttar Pradesh on June 19, 2009 has already turned stale. By the next year there will be no Dalits to offer lunch after the farce the budget has pulled off on these gullible poor people. To quote Indira Gandhi, “ You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.” Better learn.

The writer is National Secretary, CPI and a Rajya Sabha MP