Personally, which Lok Sabha election has been your most memorable so far? Why?
I am nearly 55 years old now and I have seen several elections. But none of them are what I would call memorable because none of them have spoken of the requirements of the common man; none of them have produced a concrete proposal or manifesto to benefit the common man.
There are only false promises. The entire thing is a hoax, a sham. The NDA and UPA are factions of the same corporate class.
Which election, in your view, has provided the biggest turning point in the history of India?
Well, I would not say that there has not been any turning point. But the turning point has been for the worse.
In 1991, when P V Nar asimha Rao became Prime Minister all our human and natural resources were opened up to foreign corporates. That was the first step towards devastation.
What issues would you want the three MPs from Bangalore to address?
There are two different sides to Bangalore.
One is the shining side, which includes the malls, Brigade Road, Jayanagar, J P Nagar, the five-star hotels, high-end hospitals, the airport, but this caters to only 10 per cent of the population. But what about the 35 lakh contract workers of Bangalore who receive only `5,000 to 6,000 per month? -- the public and private firms’ contract workers, workers in garment factories, housekeeping staff in hospitals, security staff and all the rest. ‘
How are they supposed to pay rent, eat, educate their children and go to the hospital when they fall sick? Where’s water and electricity for them?
Do you think the Congress, BJP, JD(S) and AAP have chosen their Bangalore candidates well?
I see no difference between one and the other; they are all the same. AAP may look different. But they’re made up of NGOs which receive foreign funding too for “development”.
I don’t pin my hopes on any party or candidate. The middle class consists of the most dishonest and selfish people.
Have you ever considered contesting elections? Which politicians do you know personally, and what do you think of their prospects?
I’m a trade unionist and we work night and day throughout the year for the betterment of the common man. I don’t think that I could be of any greater help if I enter politics.
I have quite a few
politician friends, Roshan Baig to mention and some in the other Left-leaning parties.
I don’t sub scribe to their political beliefs and none of them are contesting this time.
What do you foresee in Delhi after the vote count on May 16?
In 2004, the corporates promoted Manmohan Singh -- he won. Now, they want to see Modi there. People talk of the Modi wave, but there is only the corporate wave and a
media wave, and Congress seems to have been orphaned -- no allies in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. So BJP is likely to come to power in the
Centre and lead to the devastation of the working class.
In America, it’s not the people of America who govern it; it’s the corporates of America. Here, it’s the corporates of India, dictated by the corporates of America.
(As told to Chetana Divya Vasudev)