RED SALUTE TO HUGO CHAVEZ

This is not an obituary on Hugo Chavez, the former President of Venezuela who breathed his last on Wednesday after fighting cancer since the last few years. Obituaries in hundreds must have come out by this time, his contributions to his nation, Venezuela and for the Latin American countries and the world as a whole since he assumed power in 1998 will be remembered in the long years to come.

Making comparisons is not apt in a sense still I am forced to compare this revolutionary with our Prime Minister, the renowned economist Dr.ManMohan Singh.

Venezuela is a nation with a population of 29 million. While assuming power in 1998 the country was reeling under hardships ranging from famine, poverty, corruption, suppression, especially suppression of the poor, illiteracy, women enslavement etc. We see and experience in a democratic country, mind you, the largest democracy in the world ie India the country’s wealth is flowing into the pockets of rich who constituted a minority. Under the military junta in Venezuela majority of lives were getting more and more poor and a minority amassed millions and billions of dollars.

Immediately after assumption of power as the President of Venezuela, Mr.Chavez adopted socialist path and resultantly private firms like Petróleos de Venezuela, were nationalized and brought under the control of the State. The nationalized firms through healthy competitions created wonders with all of them getting flourished within a short span.

Hugo Chavez was a staunch opponent of globalization and neo-liberalism. While many countries across Europe and United States whole-heartedly embraced globalisation and neo-liberal economic reforms, Chavez followed socialist ideals and interestingly socialism and Marxism-Leninism were going down across the world with many countries losing faith in the Socialist ideals in the 90s. That did not deter him from moving along the path of socialism under which the nations wealth came under State power.  

Chavez’s ultimate goal was the welfare of the poor who constituted majority of Venezuelans. With in a span of 10 years ie from 2000 to 2010 Chavez earmarked 61 percent of national wealth for the upliftment of poor and downtrodden which could bring about drastic changes in the social sector. Dr.ManMohan Singh who is the incumbent Prime Minister of India since 2004 was India’s Finance Minister since 1991. As the Finance Minister and then as Prime Minister he couldn’t contribute to the welfare of lower strata of our society which constitute millions of poor as Chavez could do in Venzuela who followed and implemented socialist reforms. Dr.Singh’s neo-liberal economic measures and his penchant for globalization could help in the accumulation of wealth in the hands of super rich- corporates and businessmen who constitute a minority. The case still moving along these lines. Social sector has been virtually neglected and the consequences are very much there for us to witness and read about. Throwing peanuts to the socially deprived sections on presentation of each budget wouldn’t help to improve their lot remarkably. It needs a compassionate heart, it needs the ability to read the pulse of the masses, it needs a political will to keep in mind the interests of the suffering millions which our rulers lack. Still gloating over the high growth trajectory and inclusive growth, to put it mildly is ridiculous.

Since Hugo Chavez came to power 14 years before Chavez’s main agenda was the welfare of the socially deprived sections. “Social spending increased by 61% or 722 billion dollars the country has regions lowest level of inequality. Poverty is down from 71% in 1996 to 21% now,  and extreme poverty is down from 40% to 7.3. The social programs he started have reached 20 million people and 2.1 million have received senior citizens pensions, a seven fold increase under Mr.Chavez. As many as 96% of the population now have access to clean drinking water and with school attendance at 85%.” (Coutesy :The Hindu)  Infant mortality and malnutrition showed a steep decline. One among three of children was given free education upto college level, empowerment of women and girl child made considerable improvement, sufficient food and essential commodities were made available in abundance.

Entire Venezuela underwent a churning process and became a paradise for all citizens.

And with the purpose of extending financial assistance to the Latin American nations Chavez took the initiative to set up a ‘Bank of the south’ in order not to kneel down before International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank for funds with strings attached.

Now look at the US and European nations which are still the apostles of neo-liberal reforms and globalization reeling under debt traps unable to find a way out of the ditch they let themselves in.

Red Salute to the departed leader who paved a new path which got replicated in neighbouring Latin American countries to be precise a continent as a whole.