Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury and CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat differed on the influence of the World Bank and other funding agencies on formulation of India's economic policies even as both blamed their male counterparts for delay in passage of the women reservation Bill in Parliament.
They were speaking on the issue of social divide at a function held on the occasion of the 82nd birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy here on Monday.
Karat was of the view that liberal economic policies adopted by the Centre have further divided the society where poor became poorer and a handful of rich turned ultra rich. She blamed it on the influence of the World Bank, the IMF and other international funding agencies which, according to her, influence economic policies.
She said that unless the country has its own economic policies to meet requirements of its people, the social divide would continue. The division in the society is mostly due to economic factors, she said.
Rejecting Karat's contention, AICC spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said, “The World Bank no more dictates India. We are the country which spends more money on education and health while countries like Japan and Germany are cutting down their budgets on the social sector.”
Therefore, nobody including the World Bank can dictate terms to India and influence its economic policies, she said. On Women Reservation Bill, both said that though all parties publicly support it, none pursues it in letter and spirit. Therefore, the Bill is not passed despite several assurances.
“They (male leaders) say one thing on television and give a different opinion before the chairperson of the Houses,” Choudhury said.