Setting politicos’ agenda
Business World | 21 Mar, 2014
Setting Politicos’ Agenda
Anti-FTA, anti-FDI civil society groups try to influence election manifestos of political parties
Joe C. Mathew
Civil society groups, opposing free trade agreements (FTA) and all out permission to foreign direct investments (FDI) are attempting to see their stand point getting reflected in the election manifestos of the political parties.
In a submission to all major political parties, Forum Against FTAs — a network of 75 organisations including civil society organisations, trade unions and farmers organisations — expressed their concerns over India’s engagement on trade policy issues including related to the World Trade Organisation(WTO), FTAs and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs).
The groups wanted the existing sectoral FDI policy to be reviewed to address the long-term development needs of the country also keeping in concerns related self sufficiency in food, health and other strategic sectors.
Constitutional amendment to ensure the scrutiny of all international trade agreements and ratification of the same by the Parliament of India, before their entry into force is another demand.
The groups have called for an impact assessment of all existing FTAs by an independent commission. Stressing the need for transparency and democratic process in ongoing FTAs/BITs negotiations, they wanted all existing negotiating positions, draft proposals and government-commissioned studies to be debated and discussed not only in the Union Parliament and State legislatures but also and in public forums.
“Given that these treaties/agreements deal with a range of subjects on the State and Concurrent Lists of the Constitution of India, the federal process of consultation with the state governments must be completed and institutionalized. A general consensus must be reached”.
The submission also urged the political parties to take a tough stand on the on-going WTO negotiation. “The government should work towards permanent solution on G-33 Food Security Proposal, issues that are important for developing countries in Agriculture including ending the unjust agricultural subsidies in the West, special and differential treatment and for overall development outcome at the WTO”.
The groups wanted the issues raised by them to be included in the election manifestos of political parties.
While the key contestants, the BJP and the Congress, are yet to release their election manifestos, some of the points raised by the groups have already found space in the manifesto of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Given the fact that all of these policies have been implemented by the BJP and the Congress governments, it is unlikely that the civil society group concerns will find a space in the manifestos of these parties like it happened in the case of CPI(M).
“The entry of Foreign Capital (FDI and FIIs) has been allowed in all spheres. FDI caps have been enhanced in the banking, infrastructure, real estate, defence production and agri-business. To start with this executive decision has to be scrapped and FDI policy governed by the interests of national sovereignty, priorities of national development and the employment needs of the people” the CPI (M) manifesto says.
The party manifesto shares the civil society groups’ views on WTO and FTAs too.
