Rahul Gandhi Visited Purulia
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday responded to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's comment on “two Bengals,” saying a comparison of the socio-economic indicators of Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and Purulia in West Bengal will tell “the real story”.
While attacking the United Progressive Alliance-II government for perpetuating the widening gulf between the ‘shining' and ‘suffering' India, an editorial in the latest edition of the CPI(M) organ People's Democracy said: “The Congress party's high profile general secretary has recently accused the Left Front government in West Bengal of taking the State backwards and perpetuating poverty. One can understand such campaigns at the time of elections. But, even these have to be based on facts and realities. Some parts of West Bengal like Purulia had been described as the most backward in the country. A comparison of the socio-economic indicators of Purulia with those in Rae Bareli and Amethi will tell the real story.”
At a rally in West Bengal recently, Mr. Gandhi described Purulia as one of the most backward parts of the country and said there existed two Bengals — one for the rich and the other for the poor.
Statistics
The editorial said the people below the poverty line in Purulia were 31 per cent, compared to 54 per cent in Rae Bareli and Amethi. Likewise, the “families with electricity were 29 compared to 14; per capita expenditure is Rs. 461 compared to Rs. 385; vaccinated children 84 compared to 16; neo-natal deaths 46 compared to 83 per thousand; and fatality below five years 89 compared to 160 per thousand.”
The most effective way of tackling such a situation was land reform, and West Bengal ranked the foremost among all States on this score. Also, the Congress should remember that it was a full 17 years after the Left Front's initiative of a three-tier, democratically elected bodies, the Panchayati Raj system was adopted for the country through the 73rd and 74th Constitution amendments, piloted by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Harsh reality
“This is the hard reality between those who mouth concerns of two Indias and the Left that takes steps to provide relief, despite severe limitations imposed by our Constitution on the State government's ability to raise resources.”
Meanwhile, the Congress-led UPA could well redeem its own pledge of putting an end to the perpetuation of two Indias and providing the people their fundamental right to be free from hunger, the editorial noted.
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