Liberalization, privatization and globalization have increased income inequality, small scale industries have declined and sensitivity to global economic shocks has increased – Prof. Tirath Basra
Jalandhar (Asian independent) Ambedkar Mission Society (Regd.) Punjab organized a seminar on the topic “Political Equality Without Social and Economic Equality is Meaningless” at the historical place Ambedkar Bhawan, Dr. Ambedkar Marg, Jalandhar. Professor Tirath Basra Ret. Principal, Government College, Kapurthala participated as the main speaker of the seminar. In his address, he highlighted the warnings issued by Baba Saheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar during his final 
speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, in which he stated that on January 26, 1950, we would enter a life of contradictions. In the political sphere, we would uphold the principle of “one man, one vote” and “one vote, one value,” yet in our social and economic lives—due to our social and economic structures—we would continue to deny the principle of “one man, one value.” How long will we continue to live this 
life full of contradictions? How long will we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for a long time, we will only do so by endangering our political democracy. We must remove this contradiction as soon as possible, otherwise the victims of inequality will destroy the structure of political democracy that this Assembly has worked so hard to build. Professor Basra warned about the major dangers of liberalization, privatization and 
globalization (LPG), which have resulted in increased income inequality, decline in local small-scale industries and increased susceptibility to global economic shocks. He said that Indian banks have written off loans worth about Rs 16 lakh 35 thousand crore during the decade from the financial year 2014-15 to 2023-24. These are the consequences of the risks of liberalization, 
privatization and globalization. In this, the share of agricultural loans was about Rs 1 lakh 88 thousand crore and the share of corporate and large industries and the service sector was 56% of the total amount waived off from the dues list, i.e. more than Rs 9 lakh 15 thousand crore. He said that due to privatization, permanent jobs of poor people have been lost, people are getting jobs on contract basis, in which no one is made permanent. Their wages have become 
temporary and their social security has also reduced. He said that education and health are of concern to everyone but the government keeps very little budget for them.
The President of the Society, Professor Balbir, said in his speech that Babasaheb had told all the people in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, with great emotion that we have become politically equal but not socially and economically equal. Our intellectuals, professors and writers discriminated against Babasaheb’s definition of democracy. According to US President Abraham Lincoln, the definition of democracy is the government of the people, elected by the people for the people, but according to Babasaheb, the definition of democracy is that form of government, that method in which revolutionary changes can be brought about in the social and economic life of the people in a peaceful manner. A democracy that does not do this does not deserve to be called a democracy. Professor Balbir said that when the policy of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization (LPG) was implemented, no one opposed it and now the situation has become the same as it was before. On one hand it is said that the country will become a developed country in 2047 and on the other hand 80 crore people stand in queues to get 5 kg of flour and dal. How long will people continue to be misled? After this, Professor Tirath Basra and Professor Balbir gave satisfactory answers to the questions of the audience. Dr. Mahendra Sandhu presented his views on the activities of the society and the General Secretary of the society Baldev Raj Bhardwaj thanked the guests and the audience. Mr. Charan Das Sandhu conducted the stage well. On this occasion, among others, Dr. G. C. Kaul, Principal Kulwant Singh Phull, Pishori Lal Sandhu, Manjit Singh, Adv. Harbhajan Sampla, Master Chaman Lal, Tilak Raj, Jyoti Prakash, Parminder Singh Khutan, Dr. Charanjit Singh, Sohan Lal Retired DPI, Dr. Chandra Kanta Retired Principal, Harbhajan Nimta, Nirmal Binji, Principal Paramjit Jassal, Narinder Lekh, Prof. Lal Bahadur Bhatia, Prof. Arinder Singh, Sham Lal Jassal, Jagdish Dalia, Roop Lal, Rakesh Kaul, Swaran Das, Pawan Kumar, Vishu Dev, Dr. Davinder Samra, Harmed Kumar, Prof. Mahesh Chandra, Ashok Kumar Sandhu, Jee Raj Angurana, Sukhdev Raj, Chaman Lal, Om Prakash etc. were present. This information was given by Baldev Raj Bhardwaj, General Secretary of Ambedkar Mission Society (Regd.) Punjab through a press release.
Baldev Raj Bhardwaj, General Secretary, Ambedkar Mission Society (Regd.) Punjab
