Privatisation of ISRO serves corporate interests

As coronavirus pandemic is surging to unimaginable proportions and people are in distress, the Union government is taking advantage of the situation and implementing its hidden agenda of complete privatisation. One can understand privatisation of non-viable and losses-accruing companies.

But why profit making Navarathna's? Research is vital for any country for its development. ISRO is basically a space research organisation. We should have some space to stand in between other developed nations till we reach to forefront in that particular front.

Why privatisation of this prestigious institution? Philosophers of privatisation inside and outside the government preach that private tycoons will be able to spend crores of rupees for the required funds for the research.

If that is the fact, why private sharks are taking thousands of crores of rupees from banks as loans and ultimately evading repayment of loans. Those loans are declared as bad loans and finally waived off. Such criminal approach is leading to bankruptcy of banks and again the government is coming forward in rescue of those banks by bailing out with public deposits amount. This is private profit with public money.

Why is the government so incapable of maintaining such prestigious research institution? Privatisation is taking place in many fields like Air India, Defence, LIC, coal, Railways etc. Let us take the example of Air India. Air India is built with the blood and sweat of Indian working class.

Runways were laid down by the Indian government and other required infrastructure was wonderfully developed but subsequently private airlines are utilising those runways and other infrastructure. Private airlines invested money to come into this businesses in order to get super profits.

And there is no dearth of private scams. Very recently, a scam amounting to Rs 730 crore in the Bombay Airport terminal had come to light. But when this corona pandemic has spread and business stagnated, these "so-called private business leaders" had run away from the risks.

Air India alone has come to the rescue of Indian government to bring back Indians who were trapped in many foreign countries. The same private airlines will appear on the scene when the travelling boom is back, if and when things return to normal.

Privatisation and Foreign Direct Investments are stepping stones to sell away those companies to foreign corporates. Why politicians in power are so interested in even prestigious institutions that are viable and profit-making companies? Reason is very simple.

Those prestigious institutions have in their possession vast tracts of land, which can fetch lakhs of crores of rupees in real estate business. Once they get privatised, those lands will become prime lands. The new management takes a decision to sell away surplus lands on the name of required funds. But the government privatise those institutions on the name of getting huge funds from private operators. Ruling bosses of the government will get super kickbacks in the entire process of privatisation.

The ISRO at present designs, manufactures and launches satellites which are useful for broadcasting, weather forecast, navigation, communication, telemedicine, disaster management, geographical information systems and distance education system. These services are vital for the country's development. Above all, the ISRO is contributing much in remote sensing of natural resources and management of materials.

On certain planets like moon etc there are precious minerals, and which can be brought to earth worth lakhs of crores of rupees. On moon, abundant of titanium is found. This element is less dense and can withstand high temperatures, when used as an alloy with other materials. So, this element can be used in aircraft, missiles and also spacecrafts.

Hence, after so many years of research effort being done at the government's expenditure the private partners want to reap super profits, by taking over the business. It will not be long before MNCs will enter in the name of modern technology transfer. And for sure, there will be huge kickbacks, at the cost of national security and sovereignty.

In NASA, Indians techies of ISRO are highly respected. Their expertise is developed at the cost of Indian people, through their education and enormous training all these years at the ISRO. At present 75 percent of components come from private auxiliaries. Of course, every public sector company does the same. But the Union government can run those auxiliaries also under its control.

If the entire ISRO is given to private big business magnets and a disaster take place, will they take responsibility? Except Air India, why no other private airlines coming forward to bring back Indians trapped in various countries under the "Vande Bharath Mission?" Every country invests a certain percentage of amount of GDP for research and development. India also has to do the same.

But under the BJP dispensation, allocation for scientific research has reached the lowest level and now stands at just 0.7%, way below those of many countries. By handing over prestigious national research institutes, the government is abdicating its responsibility to the nation. Under private corporate research, the focus will be only on super profits and they care a hoot for public welfare.

After this ISRO privatization, will the government sell off its administration also? Any policy on privatisation, especially of key sectors should be thoroughly debated in Parliament. It cannot be done by decrees. This is sheer dictatorial decision and we oppose these back-door methods of selling off of the nation.

(The author is national secretary, the Communist Party of India. Views expressed are personal)