February 12, 2025 | New Delhi:
Supreme Court Judge Gavai while hearing a case on the condition of shelters for urban homeless people launched an attack on political parties promising freebies ahead of elections and wondered whether this was creating a "class of parasites". The mainstream media have immediately latched onto this, with taglines screaming that the Supreme Court has fiercely criticised freebies, and asking the question whether the time had come to end the freebie culture.
That a sitting Supreme Court judge refers to economically deprived people as parasites, and condemns social welfare schemes that offer some solace to them, is concerning. That a judge of constitutional courts that most easily refrain from interfering with the government's anti-people policies citing separation of powers, makes such unrestrained remarks, becomes more than concerning. This is not merely an unfortunate or poor choice of words, but a mindset that refuses to acknowledge the survival crisis faced by the majority. A mindset that refuses to see the reality of the 80 crores who are now dependent of free rations.
The Judge goes on to add that instead of these freebies, these people who are "unwilling to work" must be integrated in society. This when unemployment is through the roof, promised jobs are not created. Funds for MGNREGA is cut affecting rural employment, and there are no plans for an urban employment guarantee act. The disastrous policies of the Modi government has resulted in job loss, forget about job creation. Majority who find employment do so in insecure and informal employments with no job, wage or social security. Instead of making such uncalled for remarks, the constitutional courts ought to hold the government accountable for failing to give people their constitutionally guaranteed life with decent living wages and dignity.
Hitting at the poor facing insurmountable hurdles to a dignified life has become the norm. A couple of years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a verbal war on opposition parties promising welfare schemes and services for economically deprived people referring to them with the pejorative phrase 'revdi culture'. Corporate honchos, who siphon off lakhs of crores of public money through write-offs and NPAs and who are also the biggest recipients of state largesse in the form of land and amenities at throw-away prices, have never held back. Just a couple of days ago Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Chairman and Managing Director S.N. Subrahmanyan, bemoaned that people prefer not to migrate since welfare schemes and direct benefit transfers make them reluctant to leave their villages!
Enough of this mockery. State policies are what are pushing people into grim poverty, and the few welfare schemes barely ensure their survival. It's time the people stand up and end these policies that are making a handful rich and elite at the cost of the majority who are expected to survive on crumbs.
-- Issued by Central Committee of CPIML Liberation
