Sunday, November 13 2005 15:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Reflecting its growing disenchantment with UPA, JD(S) today (Nov 13, 2005) accused the Manmohan Singh Government, supported by it from outside, of not living up to the expectations of the people either in foreign or economic policy and pledged to organise all 'likeminded parties' on an alternative 'radical platform'.

"The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has not lived up to the expectations of the electorate either in foreign or economic policy and India has unfortunately succumbed to US pressures" the party, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, said in its resolution on the concluding day of its two-day national plenary session here.

The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), which has three MPs in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha and shares power with Congress in Karnataka, while hoping to emerge as a national party in the near future, vowed to strive to organise all like-minded parties on an 'alternative radical platform'.

Drawing a parallel between the 'disastrous' economic policies of the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government and the approach of the UPA, the party said it 'views with concern' the present scenario as the peasants, working class, unorganized sector and the poor were being impoverished.

On the foreign front, the JD(S) charged the UPA with 'leaning dangerously' towards the US in the hope of securing a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. "The Government has not only surrendered the country's sovereignty in the field of nuclear defence, but also bartered the nation's status as a leader of the new world for some doubtful concessions", it said.

Reminding the UPA of its pledge to pursue an independent foreign policy, the JD(S) said though the Government was expected to reverse NDA's 'pro-imperialist' foreign policy, the recent agreements with US on defence, nuclear policy and joint exercise of the air force of the two countries 'gives a lie to that promise'.

The party deplored India's vote in the IAEA against Iran and feared that larger import of defence material from the US might fuel an arms race in South Asia. It also sought early restoration of democracy in Nepal.

Referring to the agriculture sector, it said the UPA Government has "not desisted" from reversing the 'anti-farmer' policies being 'dictated' to it by developed countries. It demanded that New Delhi oppose at the upcoming Hong Kong meeting of WTO 'the nefarious designs' of advanced nations, especially the US, in making the world trade body their tool.

The party came out strongly against entry of foreign capital into the banking sector and merger of public sector banks and the move to allow FDI in retail sector, saying it would imperil the livelihood of 1.1 crore small traders.

JD(S) also opposed disinvestment of PSEs as it would subject the common man to the mercy of global operators and felt that the decision to invest provident fund deposits in domestic and foreign capital markets was 'portentous' and would be 'detrimental and irresponsible'.

Calling upon workers to join in the 'epic battle' to secure the future of the country, the party said the condition of dalits, backwards and minorities was deteriorating due to 'reckless neo-liberal policies' and pressed for reservation in the private sector.

Taking up the cudgels for the minorities, the JD(S) urged the Centre and the State Governments to provide reservation to them in education and employment.

Touching upon the peasant unrest in different parts of the country, the party, which projects itself as pro-farmer, said it could not be seen merely as a law and order problem but as a result of 'deep agrarian crisis'.

It asked the UPA Government to commit itself to solve the problems of the rural masses who were becoming paupers and expected that the new rural job guarantee law would provide relief to them. Condemning all forms of terrorism, the JDS cautioned that 'such provocations' should not result in the State resorting to enacting repressive laws, which have been misused against political opponents.

Reviewing the Indo-Pak ties, the party said it firmly believed that terrorism or military action on both sides of the border would never solve the Kashmir problem and welcomed the steps taken by the two nations to open new points of entry across the Line of Control to expedite relief measures for the earthquake victims.

The deliberations of the session, which began with offering of condolences to former President K R Narayanan and veteran party leader Madhu Dandavate, saw the unanimous re-election of Deve Gowda as the JD(S) President.