Cong Govt Held Responsible For Climbdown At Wto Meet

Admitting that some compromises were made at the Singapore meet of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has defended the United Front (UF) governments position and criticised the previous Congress government which, it said, paved the way to such an eventuality.

The WTO ministerial conference last month decided to set up two study groups, one relating to trade and labour standards, and the other linking trade to investment. The groups are expected to submit their reports within two years and the findings are likely to be taken up in the next ministerial conference which will be held after two years.

The governments stand had drawn flak from all quarters, except the Congress, in the winter session of Parliament. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Ashok Mitra had said that he would have preferred the government to be isolated at the meet than signing the agreement with such clauses.

The CPI national council meeting, which concluded on January 6 in Mumbai, discussed the issue and said that the fault lay not with the UF government alone. The previous government had paved the way for Indias succumbing to such positions, it was felt.

During Raos tenure, no effort was made to strengthen the Non-Aligned Movement, nothing was done to mobilise the support of developing countries on important issues; the Indian government was party to all the Gatt agreements which preceded the WTO, CPI secretary D Raja said.