There is a strong connection between the funding-‘system’ of political parties in India and the manner in which the labour welfare measures are diluted by the political parties that capture and run the government. The money siphoned off by the corporate houses is very very huge that the politicians in various political parties sell their souls easily to the corporate crocodiles.
The result is that these politicians yield willingly to the pressure brought on them by the corporates and betray the ordinary people. It is a shame on the educational system that it does not inculcate honesty in the people that many choose politics as a source of livelihood, attracted by the easy money that they are able to make. Common people of India are going to lose a lot at the hands of these wily politicians, who are there to make money through unfair means, while at the same time, projecting themselves as the saviours of the commoners.
In its editorial dated 24.12.2014, Kashmir Times writes:
“Majority of the political parties have been getting most of their funds from corporate houses, who donate money as per the size and numbers of a political party and patronize all of them as per their preferances. As of now, BJP is one of the parties, which has not filed its return for the previous year for the donations received by it in excess of Rs 20,000 or more. … Other parties are no different so far disclosures on donations are concerned. The Income Tax exemption to the extent of 4 percent on the profits of a corporate house is too much keeping in view the volumes of money siphoned off to the political parties on annual basis. Unless some arrangement is made to ensure transparency in donations to political parties is made, the black money will continue to breed black politics in India where poor masses will continue to suffer”. (http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=39725)
The Small Factories (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Bill, 2014 is one such irresponsible bill intended to convert the masses into slave labour in a massive scale. Employers, except a few who are really benevolent, do not want proper labour laws. When there was a survey in Mumbai in the late 1990s, 85% of the employers did not want ESI Scheme while 85% of the employees wanted the scheme for them. Labour welfare can be protected only when government is ready to monitor and enforce it, in the Indian circumstances. But, the politicians in power do not worry about the labour but only about the corporate money for their political parties. And, the pity is that there are so many bureaucrats who aid this betrayal of common people.
Unless we address the root cause of the problem and compel all the political parties to make every single donation public, through their website, irrespective of the quantum of such donation, the poor will suffer for long and the politicians will ally themselves with the rich for the money they throw at them.
Flourishing ESIC 