ANOTHER EMPTY PROMISE

Telegraph, March 2, 2010
Malvika Singh


Vedanta, the international mining giant, wrapped itself around the front page of a national newspaper, advertising how it was going to change the economic and social face of Kalahandi with the initiation of its multicrore projects in the region. The company also claimed that the projects will generate employment, dispense education and health, and give the people aluminium, which, according to some, is the great new ‘green’ product. Maybe the time has come to do a substantive, investigative and truly in-depth story on this company and all its international deals and growth trajectory. I am always wary of elaborate and unnecessary claims made by corporates about the work they are doing for ‘social good’: such projects are always announced wherever they have business interests. Of course, they will offer employment, or else how can they build their plants? They also promise to set up crèches and primary ‘play schools’, medical dispensaries, as well as to provide sporadic electricity supply and mid-day meals. But thereafter what? Will environmental norms and rules be violated? Will social- sector commitments get diluted as the projects near completion?

The budget was a solid, matter-of-fact document without the usual frills. It was approved across the board, except by a sulking Opposition in disarray that needed to “be seen to be ‘united’” for a short while for public consumption. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has scored good points with this budget. The unprecedented walk-out by the Opposition during the finance minister’s statutory budget speech was unwarranted. The Opposition could have used the budget session to argue and present whatever it believed was wrong instead of indulging in this kind of unacceptable behaviour. Parliament is not to be abused in this manner. Citizens find walk-outs and adjournments shameful and embarrassing. It makes a young, robust, energetic India look like a pathetic banana republic that this nation certainly is not.