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Chandra Shekhar calls for debate on economic reforms

Former prime minister Chandra Shekhar has called for a national debate and consensus on the economic scenario and urged people and statesmen to come together and deliberate on the implications of the so-called reforms, which ''have not yielded any results after seven-and-a-half years''.

The willpower of the people has touched its nadir which is a result of the directionless process of liberalisation and globalisation, he said in an informal chat with UNI in Bombay yesterday.

Even at the time of slavery during the British regime Indians were hopeful of freedom, but now almost everybody is expressing serious concern over the future, be it an industrialist or a man living below poverty line, he said.

He said that, at this stage, economic reforms were too important to be left to economic experts and a handful of politicians. It is a matter of concern that even after seven-an-a-half years of liberalisation, we are on ground zero with declining exports, ever-increasing imports, rupee crisis and reduced agricultural produce and negative industrial growth.

He warned that in the near future the country might have to face social unrest like some of the south-east Asian countries. Though India may have survived the crisis, it is high time that we rethink and reorient our policies.

UNI

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