time, they were very much in vogue. Now they have become dirty words, such as self-reliance'. Is it to be wiped out completely? Such a word as socialism, which I considered to be dirty word when it was put into the Preamble of our Constitution where there is no semblance of socialism anywhere has been put into the Preamble of the Constitution many many years ago. Anyway, nobody mentions it now anymore because it is a dirty word now.

About independent growth, people laugh and ask: how can you have independent growth? You can only be dependent on somebody else. What about economic sovereignty?(Interruptions) So, I would say that these are dirty words now.

Madam, I will just take out one or two points from this Address because it says that we should pride ourselves on the fact that India ha; become the world's largest sugar producer. But the irony of the situation is that when we are the largest sugar producer in the world, we have decreed only a few days before, the Budget Session that people who buy their sugar requirements from the controlled 'shops, from the ration shops now would have to pay Rs. 8.30 for one kilogram of sugar- it is not in the open market but in the ration shops. Outside, of course, the prices will go up now to Rs. 14 or Rs. 16/-.I do not know what, This is the free market economy. Is it the meaning of free market economy? But, after all, the supply of levy sugar and the control system was not meant for most of the people who are sitting in this House. I realise it. It is meant for the poorer section, the weaker section. How they are expected to buy these things at phase prices, somebody should explain to us.

Then, I would like to say about this National Renewal Fund here about which a mention has been made. I would like to know whether the Government has decided finally that the bulk of this Fund including whatever more installments they may get from outside, is not going to be really spent for providing alternative employment or re-de- 561 Motion of thanks on

ployment of surplus workers. The bulk of it is meant simply for paying compensation to the Workers who will go out; who have to go out; who will lose their jobs. Yes, some extra money is to be given to them as a prize, as a reward for the so-called voluntary retire- ment. But real, positive outlook of providing alternative jobs or giving re-deployment to those people is not there. Please go and see what is happening in China. Reference is made to China nowadays by so many people approving the references. Previously it used to be a taboo. Now, so many people say: " Please see how China is developing and all that. " Yes, you may call it reformed China. But reform China has also got a big problem of surplus labour. I was there only three or four months ago. Some millions of people. who, they say are surplus to their requirement in their present jobs, are to be shifted.

That means they have to be shifted to other jobs. They cannot be kept where they are. Of course, they do not want to go. That is a fact.

They do not like to go. For example, it Shri Inder Jit is told tomorrow that he would have to shift from his job to another job, he would not like to go. He will grumble. So, one can understand the psychology of human beings, of workers. But they are doing it. First of all, for example they have caught hold of the Government staff, the Government employees. They say the Government Departments are bloated and over-staffed. They have to be streamlined. The Government employees are being gradually shifted to the services sector. Even then it is proving a. very difficult job. But here this National Renewal Fund, Which, in the beginning we were told, is meant for this purpose, for redeploying, for training the employees fro new jobs and then shifting the people to new jobs. But I do not see any semblance of it anywhere now. I do not think that, in our country, unfortunately, we have got the system or infrastructure or anything for training people for new jobs and for re-deployment them. This money, the National Renewal Fund, is meant to pay them off. You give your resignation letter and you will get some extra money. With that, please go. After that, what happens to you is not our. concern. This is what is the meaning of the National Renewal Fund.

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As far as relations- I forget to mention this, Madam, with Pakistan and Bangladesh are concerned, of course, everybody here has expressed the view that we are long overdue in taking some more initiative for improving our relations with Pakistan. We cannot remain in a state of permanent hostility. We all know the attitude of the Pakistan Government. But that is no excuse for us to just remain marking time. We have to take initiatives. It is in our own interest. We should remember that part from the people, the anti- India and the aggressive sections who are three in Pakistan, there are democratic people in Pakistan also, there are many democratic people in Bangladesh also-anticommunal people, secular-minded people who want better relations and friendship with India and nothing should be done in this country which weakens those forces and encourages the forces of fundamentalism and communalism. But now we should take some steps.

Even it our are rejected, it does not mane. Let the world see that India is taking concrete initiatives to start some bilateral discussions with the Pakistan Government on certain issues which have been defying settlement for such a long time.

Shrimati Girija Vyas who spoke very eloquently yesterday-I must congratulate her, it was the first speech I heard from her she said something about the great care the Government is taking or wanting to take for women in this country. Well, I wish all success to them.

But women include Muslim women also. Women does not mean nonMuslim women only. During Shri Rajiv Gandhi's time, in order to placate the fundamentalist forces in the Muslim community the Supreme Court judgment was upset by a Bill here in the name of protecting the rights of Muslim women which satisfied nobody except the hardened communal, fundamentalist elements in the Muslim society. Women were thrown to the wolves the Muslim women were thrown to the wolves. We protested at that time and we voted against that Bill. Some Muslim people also who had progressive ideas, including some women came outside this parliament House and tied themselves with chains to the railings outside protesting against this outrage.

563 Motion of thanks on

[Sh. Indrajit Gupta]

But it was carried through, So, when we talk about helping women, please think of these Muslim women also, please think of those women in Bolangir and Koraput who are selling their children, think of the tribal women who suffer, God knows, how many indignities everybody.

It is for those lowest, the poorest, defenceless sections of women that we should first give priority as to how to uplift them and give them rights which they deserve.

Finally, I would say that we are waiting for another fifteen minutes of 4 o'clock when, we are told, there is going to be statement about Tripura. Now it has become 4.45 p.m. It began with 12o'clock, then went to 12.15 p.m., then to 4o'clock and then to 4.45 p.m. In any case, this is a question now which has come up suddenly and on which the bona fides of the Government will be tested whether they are loyal and true to the principles of democracy and principles of the Constitution or whether party considerations are going to prevent it.

I am glad the hon. Home Minister has come in. The fact of the matter is that they are not called upon to dismiss any Ministry. If they were being asked by us ti dismiss certain Ministries run by the ruling party, I could understand Members on that side of the House being very agitated about it. There is no question of dismissing any ministry.

The ministry's life has already ended; on the 28th of February, the whole term of off ice has expired. Therefore, that is not the question. Now that there is not Government there and there is no Assembly there the question is: How do you fill this vacuum? What do you want to put in the vacuum?(Interruptions)

This running commentary is not really required. It is quite superfluous, because, the Home Minister has already made a statement here, a couple of days ago, saying that they want the caretaker ministry to carry on MI the next elections. The point is that the next election has got to be a free and fair one. Otherwise. it has no meaning. The Government is realising now about the methods operating of the Chief Election

President Address 564

Commissioner and whose language, sometimes, is a bit abrasive. Last year, when, three times, deputations on behalf of the opposition parties met the Prime Minister to complain against the behaviour of the Chief Election Commissioner and the way he was behaving, then of course, these gentlemen refused to touch him. They said, no, he must remain. (interruptions) Now that the rubbish has come, you have to dismiss what he was said. Please do it. You say that you have inquired into the allegations made by the Chief Elections Commissioner and it is all rubbish. You say that it is all rubbish.

The point is, if elections are to be held as declared on the 3rd of April, there is not much time. Today, is 3rd of March and within this time, you have to ensure that those elections will be free and fair. Now, on our side of the House, whether you like it or not, we do not believe that a caretaker Government which means the same ministry remaining in power, which was there all this time and against whom serious allegations have been made, that ministry remaining in the name of being a caretaker, can possibly ensure free and fair elections. It is a heavily partism ministry, which does not, I think, believe in the doctrine of free and fair elections. I do not mention other people who were also there, perhaps, at that time.

I, therefore request the hon. Minister, when he makes his statement, to take courage into both hands and to say that this gap, this constitutional sort of a vacuum or void which has arisen should be filled only by the logical device which is provided in our Con- stitution and that is President's Rule. That should be proclaimed without any further delay. -if you want to take the opinion of the Governor, please do so. Even that, we are not told up till now, what the Governor's view of the situation there is. So, please ask him to give you a report within some stipulated time. It cannot be left open-ended that until the 1st of April or 2nd of April. We do not know what is the assessment of the situation there. The Governor is there for that purpose. Please try to get some report from him within eight or ten days. That is also too much, I think. It can come much earlier. And

565 Motion of thanks on

[Sh. Indrajit Gupta]

then, please inform the House, what is the final assessment and decision that you are going to take because it will certainly do no good to the ruling party, if they permit such people to remain in the name of caretaker, who can really rig these elections, I should say.

This also a very sensitive area of the North-East, where there is this massive tribal population. You should remember all these things.

It will send some message to other North-Eastern States also. And, therefore, I think that the only reason that they are belking at the question of President's Rule is because it would appear that the care- taker Government's announcement which has already been made, cannot be revoked now. How can it be revoked? It is an embarrassing thing.

Having said something once on the floor of the House, to retract from it and revoke it, is highly embarrassing for Shri Chavan. I know it But sometimes, you have to overcome embarrassments also in the interest of democratic political principles.

And, therefore, I would request you to please consider this matter and not to do some thing which will be considered a front to democracy and to the people of Tripura's right of free and fair elections.

Madam, that is all I wish to say. Thank you very much for the time you have given to me.

[Translation]

SHRI MOHAN RAWALE: (South Central Bombay): Mr. Chairman, Sir, first of all I would like to thank the Hon. President for delivering his Address in Hindi. It was highly commended both in and outside the country. Every country has its own language. But even after a lapse of 45 years of independence we have not able to develop a national language. We have a national flag, a national song, a national bird, but it is very unfortunate that we do not have a national

President Address 566

language. The first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad had said in this House or the inaugural function of the Constitution of India that the Hindi language which was being adopted as the official language of the country should become our national language. But even today it has not been made the national language although majority of the people in India speak Hindi.

What the Government wanted to convey has been given expression through the President's Address. It does not make any reference to price-rise. It appears as if the Parliament has got no importance, The prices of essential commodities were increased even before the Budget was presented. Custom duty and Excise duty have been revised.

This compromising Government issued 24 ordinances in 36 days. It is an evidence of how weak the Government is. This Government is least concerned for the poor. It is only conscious of its seat. Today the Government has become a toy in the hands of the World Bank, IMF and the industrialists of the country. This Government is dancing to their tune. The Government which came to power with the promise to bring down prices within 100 days has taken no measures in this direction. The prices of all commodities are rising everyday but the Government is sitting silent. The Government is only concerned with the assistance it is getting from the World Bank, the IMF and least concerned for how it affects the country's self-respect. Arrears of income-tax and other taxes dues form big industries are continuously increasing. The Government is not taking any concrete measure. Our country ranks third amongst the borrowing countries. Such a state of affair has arisen in our country,

Although the Government says that it is working for the labourer's but its policies are anti-labour. All the mills in Bombay are lying closed and although Government has allowed to open them on cooperative basis it is not ready to provide equity capital. The labourers are out of employment the days. I am also a son of a mill worker. Twelve years back 70,000 mill workers were thrown out of employment. They have no food to eat. The

567 Motion of thanks an

[Sh. Mohan Rawale]

Government should provide equity capital to revive the mills but the Government is not ready to provide that Government has taken no initiative in regard to their rehabilitation and employment,. The Supreme Court had given a verdict on 21 October, 1972 that all the labourers of the cloth mills which had been taken over by the NTC should be given employment and paid all there dues past. But this has not still been done. The Attorney General of India had said in the Court that their past salaries would be paid within three months but even after a lapse of four and a halt months neither the people have been given employment nor their dues have been paid. The Government should make its intentions clear in this regard.

The people of Maharashtra want that Bombay should be renamed as 'Mumbai' Name of several cities have been changed viz-Baroda has been renamed as Vadodra, Cochin has been renamed as Kochhi, Trivandrum as Tiruvanantpuram, Benares as Varanasi, Tanjore as Tanjavur and Trichanapalli as Tirauchirapalli. I do not know why Bombay is not being renamed as Mubai. In the Constitution written in other languages it is written as Mubai. Despite all this the city is not being named as 'Mumbai'

Maximum revenue is collected from Bombay in the form of income- taz and excise duty. There the problems are so large in number that those cannot be solved without the assistance of Central Government.

About three hundred people come to Bombay everybody from other parts of the country., It has made the facilities very scare there.

I would like to request the Central Government that one year's earning of about Rs. 17944 crore from Bombay should be sanctioned for the development of the city so that facilities could be provided in Bombay city.

The Government has taken no concrete measures to solve MaharashtraKarnataka border dispute which remains

President Address 568

unresolved for the last 35 years. It is not such a problem which cannot be solved. It calls for firm will to solve it. In order to keep its seat safe and to win the support of some parties the Government has dismissed Government in 4 BJP ruled setes on the grounds of deteriorating law and order situation. If we closely watch the situation the number of people killed in dot hit areas were more in Congress ruled states on in BJP ruled States. 841 people were killed in Maharashtra and 369 in Gujarat in the dots.

15.58 hrs

[SHRI TARA SINGH in the Chair]

Since the Governments were their own they were not dismissed, Therefore it is clear that the Congress Party cannot tolerate a Government of opposition. The parties which were supporting the Congress party did not condemn the action of the Government, but praised it.

Mrs. Indira Gandhi had the policy of oppression and for that she had to tender an apology before the people of the country. She promised that such a situation would not recur. This Government has imposed a ban on the BJP rally just for winning Muslim votes and to please its supporting parties. Today they have oppressed the opinion of the people at the point of gun, tear-gas etc. but the Government should remember that people have the power to overthrow it out of power. The Government should remember that ballots are for superior to bullets.

Shri Indrajit Gupta has made a statement through Doordarshan.

But he should reconsider over what he has said. He said maximum 1000 to 2000 people must have come for the rally and not 10 lakh people.