Rich tributes paid to Basheerbagh martyrs

CPIM and CPI on Saturday observed the 10th anniversary of the police firing at Basheerbagh and paid tributes to those who laid down their life while protesting against the power tariff hike by the then Telugu Desam Government.

Leaders of the Left parties, while paying tributes to the martyrs, criticised that the successive governments for exploiting common people in the name of power reforms. Though the government temporarily went back on privatisation following the massive agitation against World Bank influenced electricity reforms, it still was pursuing the same policy, they said.

CPI State Secretary K. Narayana demanded that the Congress leaders, who had joined them in paying homage to the victims of police firing, should also show their solidarity with the families of those killed recently in Sompeta where police fired on those protesting against setting up of thermal power plant.

Senior CPI leader Suravaram Sudhakara Reddy said that the government was once again bowing to the dictates of globalisation policy and people should resist it. CPI (M) State secretary B. V. Raghavulu said that electricity was for people and not for contractors.

Rich tributes were paid to those killed during the agitation against the power tariff hike at Basheerbagh in Hyderabad 10 years ago, at a meeting organised by the left parties near Tenneti Viswanatham statue, Jagadamba junction in Visakhapatnam

The agitation against the World Bank policies 10 years ago received world-wide attention and because of it, domestic electricity consumers were spared from additional burden even now, said CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao.

Mr. Narasinga Rao and CPI city secretary Ch. Raghavendra Rao wanted people to continue the agitation against pollution-creating power plants, mining projects and other anti-people acts of the Government by drawing inspiration from the Basheerbagh agitation.

City secretaries of CPI (M) K. Lokanadham, CPI leaders Pydi Raju and others participated.

A photo exhibition on Basheerbagh incident was held.
(Courtesy : The Hindu)