HVK Archives: BJP set to swear by 'Swadeshi'
BJP set to swear by 'Swadeshi' - The Observer
Srinand Jha
()
January 7, 1998
Title: BJP set to swear by 'Swadeshi'
Author: Srinand Jha
Publication: The Observer
Date: January 7, 1998
In continuance of the Sangh Parivar's plans of having the
Bharatiya Janata Party make the Swadeshi issue as its major poll
plank in the coming general elections, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch
(SJM) has released a document seeking a national consensus on the
Swadeshi concept of development.
The 31-paged document has been distributed among a select group
comprising representatives of political parties, social
organisations, bureaucrats, professionals and businessmen among
others.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders have been asked to lay emphasis on
the Swadeshi issue by culling out the most relevant points during
their election campaign.
The document, entitled 'Rebuilding the Nation - A Swadeshi
Outline,' has been prepared after detailed discussions among
representatives of different Sangh constituents at the recent
meeting of the SJM at Varanasi. This was preceded by four high-
level coordination meetings of different Sangh constituents at
New Delhi.
The document, calling for a "war strategy" to fight the "business
war of global commerce," suggests that there should a mechanism
to bring about and implement proper coordination among the
Government, industry and the labour force as a strategy against
globalisation.
Political parties and other sections should initiate efforts to
ensure that there was no sharp difference of opinion on the
extent and limits of globalisation, the document added.
According to the document, one important area of study should be
to devise non-tariff barriers in different areas to prevent
foreign domination as part of the country's strategy.
India should work out regional groupings and bilateral trade
agreements among different nations because regionalism and
bilateralism could act as a foil to erode globalisation in the
long run, the document added.
It also recommended the setting up of a national level group
comprising all political parties to deal with important political
aspects of the global game of commerce.
The paper also sought to highlight the favour shown to the modern
organised sector, as against the traditional sector, despite the
fact that the latter still accounted for 75 per cent of the
employment generated, 70 per cent of the GNP and 75 per cent of
exports.
The document quoted a study indicating that more than 60 per cent
of the country's enterpreneurs and 37 per cent of the GDP came
>from the traditional non-corporate sector and not from the modern
corporate sector.
The study further said that even during 1996-97 it was the 4.7
per cent growth in agricultural that had saved the country from
collapse.
Moreover, the country's internally generated capital accounted
for 98.5 per cent of the total investment during the last six
years, it added.
The study also pointed out the fact that compared to the total
national investment of Rs 1,230,029 crore, foreign direct
investment was only Rs 18,418 crore, which was less than 1.5 per
cent.
According to the SJM document, these statistics clearly showed
that domestic savings had been the mainstay of the country's
investment. Yet, inspite of these facts, the entire nation was
being made to feel foreign-dependent due to relentless
campaigning by the new establishment, the document added.
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