Both the political class as well as the industry rejected the continuous assertion by the US leadership that the world food crisis was a result of the increased consumption by ?Indian middle class.? The issue is also set to rock Parliament on Monday.
Though the UPA government is yet to come with a formal response on the statements made by US President George Bush and secretary of state Condolizza Rice on the issue, senior Congress leader and defence minister AK Antony termed them as a ?cruel joke.?
The Left brigade and the main Opposition BJP also snubbed the US leadership for its anti-India assertion over the global food crisis. Both demanded that the government should appropriately respond to the statements and make it clear that ?it?s not India rather the US and other developed countries in the world, who are responsible for the crisis?.
Similarly, even the India industry disapproved of the US President?s comments blaming India for the food crisis, as it said, the current crisis has been created due to several reasons, which included diversion of food to bio fuels, changing weather conditions across the globe leading to droughts and huge agricultural subsidies.
Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Antony while criticising the US President, said, ?It?s rather the US policies that have created food crisis in the world. Large-scale conversion of agriculture land for commercial and bio-fuel cultivation purposes in that country have resulted in food shortage at the global level.? He said, those who criticise should not set apart agriculture land for other purposes and the countries, including the US, should rectify their mistakes.
The BJP and the Left parties not only rejected the assertions made by Bush and Rice but also criticised the government also for its ?stoic silence? over the issue.
Pointing fingers at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his ?silence?, the BJP said, it would force the government in the Parliament to issue a ?strong rebuttal?. The party described as ?shameful? the Prime Minister?s ?silence? and demanded that he should stand up for protecting the country?s ?interest? and ?honour?.
?America has no right to speak about what India eats. India will not accept such interference. The government should take serious note of US president?s statement and give a strong reply,? senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
The Left parties also demanded that the government should come up with its response on the issue. They are also planning to raise the issue in both the Houses of Parliament. ?It is preposterous for anyone to say that global food crisis, including in America, is because of Indians. It is needless to say what the Indians get to eat or what they (Americans) eat. This only shows how he (Bush) has lost his senses,? CPI(M) politburo member and West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said. The
CPI had also condemned the US views as ?baseless.?
Representing Indian industry Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in a statement issued on Sunday said, the rising food prices is a matter of concern and needs immediate global response. ?We need to build a global platform for dialogue and action to manage the crisis,? it added.
?The entire issue of food prices needs to be seen in a global perspective and not just seen as an issue emanating from specific countries. There is a need for greater flow of global information on food production & consumption and cuts in food wastage,? CII derector general Chandrajit Banerjee said, adding that the industry body is setting up a task force to look into this area.