In a quick reaction to the Union Budget 2021, Comrade Provash Ghosh, General Secretary SUCI(C), said in a statement on 1 February 2021:
“when the common people of the country assailed by continued economic destitution and strike of pandemic, are in desperate need of fiscal subsidy and other necessary financial support to eke out a bare living, the BJP Finance Minister (FM) did not touch a single pressing problem of their life like mounting unemployment, growing job loss, rampant closure of industries, harrowing price rise, exorbitant spurt in fuel cost, non-receipt of remunerative prices by the peasants etc. Instead, the entire budget speech was full of sickening chest-thumping, providence of questionable statistics and spurious claim of economic revival and growth. In the name of creating ‘Amanirbhar Bharat’, a full-fledged roadmap of further and speedy privatization of almost all sectors including social welfare and service sectors like health, education, insurance and banks has been rolled out.
Incidentally, the whole country is witnessing and wholeheartedly supporting the historic movement of the peasants, the bread-givers of the country and constituting over 70% of the population, against three black Farm Laws and other pro-corporate reforms in agriculture in. Already 153 precious lives have been sacrificed in that movement. But the FM, in keeping with the autocratic stand of the government against the just demands of the movement, had simply avoided any reference to that. Instead she gave some questionable figures of payment of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the farmers in last one year to pretend how much her government has done for the peasants while it known to all that the government is refusing to accept the peasants’ demand for legalizing MSP. No change has been made in direct taxation rates despite the fact that middle class taxpayers are reeling under spiraling prices, lowering income and dipping bank interest. Thus it has been made it clear that this government is completely wedded to the task of serving the class interest of the monopoly houses, both domestic and foreign, who, as per latest revelations increased their wealth manifold even during the pandemic. So, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) is actually proved to be a euphemism for “Corporate-reliant India’.
We vehemently condemn such an anti-people budget visibly formulated at the dictate of the ruling capitalist class in such a grave hour of crisis in people’s life and call up on the suffering countrymen to rise up in organized struggles against this treachery and despotic outlook of the BJP government.”
