BJP-led government did not implement any decisions of the Indian Labour conference. Tripartite Committee meetings are also being avoided by the government. The minimum wages fixed by the government stand below the poverty line, despite the government's announcement to the contrary.

India is the largest employer of child labour -- about five crores. But government has totally ignored measures to mitigate the problem. As far as the vast multitude of unorganised labour is concerned, the government has failed to bring any legislation for their protection and welfare.

During the BJP-led rule, public sector workers have been thoroughly deprived of wage negotiations due to BPE guideline of ten-year period of agreement. Nowhere in the world, this practice is followed.

Even after being voted down in the Lok Sabha and losing all legitimacy to take vital economic or administrative decisions, the BJP-led government is trampling under foot all norms of democracy and propriety.

The BJP-led caretaker government has decided to collect Rs. 10,000 crores of rupees by way of disinvesting a number of very important public sector units. These include the telecom sector, power generation and transmission, petroleum, exploration and refining. The government has decided that barring defence and allied equipments, railways, atomic energy, all other sectors are to be considered as `non-strategic' and upto 74 per cent of the holdings of these companies can be sold out. This virtually means total privatisation. The caretaker Cabinet decided that the very important PSUs such as VSNL, MTNL, ONGC, IOC, NTPC and BHEL will be drastically disinvested and government's equity will be reduced to 26 per cent or even below that.

Is this not a total sell out of the country's valuable assets to the monopoly houses and the foreign multinationals? And, in whose interests? BJP-led government will have to answer the electorate as to why they have taken these steps to ruin the country's public sector, thereby ruining national interest itself.

Even Ignoring Rashtrapati's Advice

BJP-led government's telecom disinvestment policy is an impardonable instance of violating all norms and limitations of a caretaker government, audaciously ignoring the Rashtrapati's concern and advice. While the government is blatantly ignoring the interests of the working class and the poor in the country, it has come out shamelessly in furthering the loot by the private capitalist owners.

The BJP-led government appointed in March 1999 a Second National Labour Commission to go into the entire gamut of Labour Laws and to recommend retrograde amendments.

It is known that since the new economic policy began in 1991 during Congress rule, the multinationals, the World Bank and IMF have been constantly pressurising the Indian government for changing the Labour Laws, complaining that these laws provide too much protection to the workers. Actually, the World Bank, IMF, multinationals want a policy of `hire and fire' of the workers and for intensifying exploitation.

Earlier, the Congress government several times attempted to change the laws but every time due to stiff resistance in the Parliament by the CPI (M) and the Left and struggles outside, the government had to back track.

But, now the BJP-led government is determined to go ahead. Therefore, they appointed this commission in quick haste, which was not demanded by any trade union.

The BJP-led government has appointed Shri Ravindra Verma, a known BJP man as its Chairman. The sole employees' representative is the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh General Secretary. Even the employer's representative is also a BJP nominee. The government has, thus, filled up the Commission with all BJP nominees so that the recommendations of the Commission are made according to the designs of the BJP and the demands of the World Bank, IMF and multinationals.

The Central Trade Unions -- CITU, AITUC, HMS and INTUC -- suggested a panel of four eminent judicial luminaries to be appointed one of them as Chairman. An eminent jurist, Justice Gajendra Gadkar, headed the earlier First National Labour Commission. But the BJP-led government rejected this and also all suggestions of the above central TUs about the terms of reference of the Commission. It is good that, of late, Central Election Commission has struck down this motivated decision of the BJP-led government.

Since the BJP-led government came to power at the Centre, they did not even utter a word expressing concern for the formidably rising joblessness, not to speak of announcing or implementing any scheme for reducing joblessness. On the contrary, all its measures have been directed to reduce jobs in every industry and the government departments, close down factories, private or public sector and shed man power.

According to National Sample Survey statistics, in February 1998, the total number of urban unemployment, as recorded in the employment exchange registers, stood at 39.06 million. Almost four crores. After one year, this has obviously gone up.

This is about urban unemployment. About rural unemployment, there is hardly any data. According to National Sample Survey, it may even be 10 crores. The present government actually does not have any comprehensive data on unemployment or underemployment. But even from this incomplete data as was provided by the government in the Parliament, unemployment in India comes to around 14 crores.

From the various National Sample Survey and census reports from which the real magnitude of the adult unemployed work force can be gauged. This is as follows:

1. Total population of India in 1998 96 crore

(approx.)

2. Children upto the age group of 14 years 35.5 crore

3. Old age people (60 years and above) 6.5 crore

If we take the children and old age people as non-working population, the population capable of work comes to 54 crore. Out of this, according to government data, the working population in 1995 was 32 crore, including agricultural workers. So the unemployed population comes to 22 crore. This is a quite plausible figure, which is closer to reality.

Now, what is the programme of BJP and its allies for tackling this alarming problem of unemployment? Their main agenda is religious fundamentalism, Hindutva, communalism, conversion and all other emotional issues which have no bearing on the hard realities being faced by the Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Shikh, Buddhist or Jain youths? They are organising demolition of mosques, burning of churches and the houses of the poor Christian community, but what is their agenda for giving jobs to the jobless youths? Nothing, it is a big zero.

The ghastly deaths by police firing in the army recruitment centres in Rajasthan and Bihar where more than 30 young job seekers were killed is a telling reflection of the formidable unemployment situation in the country. When the Army Recruiting Centre advertises 20 or 30 posts, thousands of educated youth throng the Recruiting Centres for a post of Sepoy. This is the grim reality of our youth.

This is the patently dangerous situation that the BJP and their allies have created during the thirteen-month rule and the extended period of caretaker rule. Can the Indian electorate forget this situation, while voting in the coming election?

It is only the CPI(M) and other Left parties that have taken a consistent position on all these issues in the interest of the country, for protecting its economic and political sovereignty, for safeguarding the interests of the working people and the unemployed youths.