Narayanan dubs economic reforms 'anti-people'

Former President of India K R Narayanan on Tuesday termed the 'shape of the economic reforms afoot in the country' as 'anti-people.'

Addressing the valedictory session of the six-day Asian Social Forum meeting in Hyderabad, the former President also cautioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu against the 'intractable dept trap' that he was 'leading himself and his state into.'

Narayanan said that reforms should provide more benefits to the people and should be implemented in the manner in which they did not endanger their human  rights.

"What is happening now is that most of the reforms are throwing lots of people out of their jobs," he said.

He opposed the pattern of privatisation of public sector undertakings in the country. "How can the government place profiteering above the people?" he questioned.

He said privatisation had sounded a death-knell for many and not helped in promoting better livelihood for the people.

It was funny that while India was withdrawing from the public sector in the name of reforms, the world was still aiding the welfare sector.

"US President George Bush has just approved a $800 billion budget to support the economy of the state industries in that country," he pointed out.

Reforms and globalisation meant concentration of powers in the hands of a few super powers. "India had pursued a policy of non-alignment against such a development. Now, we should carry the non-aligned movement further rather than succumb to the designs of the superpowers," he said.

Earlier, Myanmar Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi said that economic policies could not be separated from political  issues and globalisation led to the suppressing of human rights of millions of people.

Meanwhile, about 400 activists of All India Students Federation were taken into custody by the police for staging a demonstration in protest against globalisation.

The AISF activists protested at a local hotel where the Ninth Partnership Summit of the CII was on. The protestors tried in vain to gain tried to gain entry into the venue but were stopped and taken into custody by the police.