Saturday, December 11, 2010

Indo-EU Free Trade Agreement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The EU summit in Brussels is being attended by a high level Indian delegation led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The CPI(M) notes with concern that the negotiations on the Indo-EU FTA till date have been conducted under a veil of secrecy. Our experience in the case of the Indo-ASEAN FTA shows that the Government has, in the past, signed agreements that affect large sections of the country’s people adversely without making any efforts to consult parliament, other political parties or state governments.
There are several areas of concerns in the texts being negotiated for the Indo-EU Free Trade Agreement. It is understood that the EU is demanding measures that go beyond TRIPS, and would affect the viability of low priced generic medicines in the country. EU is also seeking accelerated access to Indian markets particularly diary and agri-business that could jeopardize livelihood among farmers, fisherfolk and small businesses. The investment and financial services obligations being demanded by the EU would have detrimental effects on domestic industry, result in giant retail chains pushing out small vendors and trades people, compromise the Government’s ability to direct credit into required areas and destabilize India’s financial sector at a time when the world is going through its worst financial crisis in recent memory. The EU has also made strong demands to open up the system of Government procurement, which if accepted, would further jeopardize the country’s faltering Public Distribution System.

The CPI(M) reiterates firmly that the Government does not have the mandate to negotiate the Indo-EU FTA without first having consulted diverse sections within India and discussed in the parliament

Frisking of Indian Ambassador

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Search of Indian Ambassador : Have Reciprocity
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) deplores the frisking of the Indian Ambassador to the United States, Meera Shankar, by security personnel at an airport in the United States. More objectionably, the Indian Ambassador was selected for an enhanced pat-down from amongst the passengers.
It is not enough for the Indian government to say that such frisking is unacceptable. Since the US authorities have stated that Ambassadors are not exempt from security searches, what the Government should do is to adopt a reciprocal approach. The US Ambassador in India should be subjected to security searches on domestic flights in India.

Stand Diluted At Cancun

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The stand taken by the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at the Climate Change Conference in Cancun that India is willing to commit to legally binding emission cuts is a blatant shift away from India’s stand. The UPA government had assured Parliament that India would not accept any such binding commitments.
Such a statement by the Environment Minister cannot be seen as an individual one. It should be taken as representing the view of the UPA government. As in many other matters, the Manmohan Singh government is all too willing to align itself with the interests of the United States, even if it means going against the vital interests of the country.
The Polit Bureau demands that the UPA government reiterate the stand that it cannot agree to any legally binding emission cuts.