SHRI CHANDRA SHEKHAR (Ballia) (U.P.) : Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to say just a few words to oppose this Bill which has been presented.I agree with the feelings of my friend who has just expressed his views.It is looking clearly that in which direction the country is being pushed.But it is a matter of sorrow that the ruling party and the main opposition party are in agreement over this issue. I am surprised to see that a committee was constituted in which I also used to go to attend. My friend Shri Murli Manohar Joshiji was its Chairman and Shri Jaipal Reddy and George Fernandes were its main members. He will present his speech in detail but I would like to remind one thing to my friends of Congress Party. All the capitalist and industrialist nations had opposed the Patent law strongly when it was formulated in 1970. It was also said at that time that if India passes the Patent Act, 1970 then we will not support India and impose sanctions on her. The then Prime Minister,Shrimati Indira Gandhi had said that the rich countries of the world, may do whatever they like, India would present those proposals in Parliament and accept the same, which will secure its interests. One of my friends was telling me two days ago that so what if it does not exist anywhere else in the world, cannot, India lead the world in this matter. I would tell those friends respectfully that they were not so close to the Congress in 1970. They, would have been in some remote areas. You can see the newspapers of that period, Shrimati Indira Gandhi said in 1970 that we are ready to accept the challenges of the world, we will not succumb to pressure and thus the Patent Act was passed in 1970. I would tell to my friends in Congress that the proposals of the Congress Party at that time were in Keeping with the interest of the people. Even at that time interests of the people were kept foremost in mind. My friend Shri Gujral is present here. He was also in that Government. That time also the Government used to think the problems of the poor. Now there is a new way of thinking about the problems of the poor which is being supported by the Congress Party and also by my friend Murli Manohar Joshi and George Fernandes. I understand that changes in ideologies cannot change the country. The country is moving towards destruction and economic slavery and this is not happening to our country only, many other countries of the world are also going to be a victim of this destruction.There was a time when India had led the countries of the third world. I would like to remind to those my friends that at that time India had the capability of becoming a leader. We did not have economic resources then as we have today but we had courage, we had a vision of the world,we had an ambition to build the future of the world and for this purpose we brought together the countries of the third world at that time. I will not go into details because I had said to speak for five-seven minutes.Even at that time much pressure was put on India when there was a move to sign the World Trade Organisation. I had opposed it.

I said that India should not be made a market. The tradition of India, the five thousand years old culture and civilization of India and the wisdom of people of India spread even the villages should not be undermined. Has America not acquired patent rights of those medicines which we have been using for thousands of years, whether the Govt. of India have taken any step against this action? Today America wants to acquire patent rights of Turmeric and Neem also. My friend has also read out that the industrialists of all over the world are concentrating on two fields only, one of them is agriculture and the other is medicine. You are very well aware of the condition of the country as far as medicines are concerned. Ayurved and Unani medicines have been consigned to oblivion. Today, English medicines system are in vogue. My friend Shri Sikander Bakht, belongs to that tradition for which I may call him, a solider or a leader. We had followed the path of “swadeshi” shown by Mahatma Gandhi. Today, whether Shri Sikander Bakht has changed or not, perhaps his heart has not changed. But when he comes with a Bill, it seems to me that the faces of the old friends have also changed, perhaps the heart has not changed. But, today, say to you that the prices of medicines are going to rise, I will not go into the details which he has given. Life saving drugs will be very expensive in this country where the poor people cannot even afford a tablet of medicine. The condition of the Government hospitals in Delhi is so bad that even tablet is not available there. Poor people cannot even think of getting treatment from any non-Government hospital. Conspiracies are being hatched to break the traditional system of agriculture. I do not like to go into details as I have asked for a short time and I have to go somewhere else also.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to submit you that as to what is happening in the country? You yourself stand for that tradition, I do not want to trouble you by reminding you. You had an opinion in 1970 and you very well know it and you are familiar with that movement also. Some of the members stand up and tell new principles and customs that India should lead the world. Those people should learn the customs of India first and thereafter try to preach this lesson to the world. We should remember this that those people, who are not proud of their own traditions, who are not aware of their glory, cannot teach the lessons of pride and esteem to the world.

Today, small issues turn to be a matter of heated arguments. For the last seven days newspapers are full of the news that people of Europe and America are at loggerheads over the issue of business of bananas. Discussion are taking place everyday and the world is witnessing this drama. Not even one of the Ministers of India is ready to speak out for own things. I know that once you sign the agreement you cannot go out of this. But will the task of saying to the people of India to use indigenous products and avoid imported products remain on the shoulders of Virendra Singh and Swadeshi Jagran Manch? They will organise Swadeshi Mela and our friend, Minister of Commerce, Shri Ramkrishna Hegdeji who has participated in the freedom struggle will import foreign goods. Permission is granted to import two hundred, three hundred items at one time on the name that we have made agreements with GATT and we cannot stop it. Other nations of the world are trying to protect their interests by sidelining this agreement. I do not say to avoid it. But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this mental slavery can lead us and our country to a grave danger. In such a situation if Patent Law is passed then it will have major affect on India in the fields of agriculture and medicines and its worst effect would be on the poor people. Those people are teaching the lesson of social justice who have not done anything for social Justice. At least do not try to preach us! I have also witnessed many revolutions regarding social justice. I have seen many supporters of social justice succumbing to the temptation of high positions so there is no need to teach me. But Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is not a personal matter, it is a question of the country’s prestige and future. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask Shri Sikander Bakht through you whether old memories still come to him, whether he still remembers Gandhiji, Morarji Desai and all those things which we have done together. I do not know whether George Fernandes and my friend Murli Manohar Joshi remember all those things or not, when, they talk in alone, they do remember this. May be they forget all those things in Parliament. I have been here to remind them and I want to tell to the people of this country, whether it is my voice or Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, or Shri Mohan Singh or Shri Jaipal Reddy, but it is time now to tell the people of the country that let the Parliament pass any proposal but the responsibility of running the country is not only that of the Government but it lies on the shoulders of the youth and citizens of the country also. If this law is passed here then youth should be ready to oppose this law. People should boycott the foreign companies. Every effort should be made to prevent the country from becoming a market of the foreign companies.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, through you, I call upon the youth and citizens of this country and I want that this Bill, this proposal should be opposed very strongly.