Call of the Sangarash Sandesh Jatha : Picket Govt Offices for One Week from May 15-31

The Sangharsh Sandesh Jathas organised by the CPI(M) concluded with a big public meeting organised at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on March 19. In an impressive gathering that reflected the diversity of India, the Party gave a call for further intensifying struggles in the coming days on the six basic demands it had raised during the  jathas – land to the landless, house to the houseless, ensuring employment, education, health and universal PDS, ensuring social justice and an end to corruption. Between May 15 and 31, for one whole week, the Party had called for picketing of all government offices from block, tehsil, district to the state level throughout the country. This programme will also include actions like breaking the law and resorting to civil disobedience.

Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Party, addressing the rally emphasised that the Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha has been organised not with elections in mind, but to strengthen the struggles for alternative policies. Flanked by all the leaders of the Left parties – S Sudhakar Reddy, general secretary of the CPI, Debabrata Biswas, general secretary of the AIFB and Chandrachoodan, general secretary of the RSP – he called upon the people to join the struggle for an alternative to the policies pursued by both the Congress and the BJP. Criticising the 'Gujarat model' as a model that is beneficial to the rich corporates, he also brought to the notice the communal and authoritarian tendencies of Modi's rule in Gujarat.

The jatha leaders recounted their experiences in the public rally. S. Ramachandran Pillai, who had led the Southern Jatha recalling his experiences said that 32 suicides were recorded in the last 30 days in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, a region through which the jatha passed through. He also mentioned about how he was questioned by some women from the jhuggi jhopris near Nagpur, who wanted to know how their problems could be solved.

Brinda Karat, talking about her experiences in leading the Northern Jatha, particularly mentioned the problems of the peasants in Haryana who were issued kurki (land eviction) notices. She also spoke about how the Haryana government is taking away the BPL cards from many of the poor people in the name of weeding out bogus cards. She said Haryana government is giving away thousands of acres of prime land to industrial houses and real estate agents, and driving out peasants from agriculture.

Sitaram Yechury who led the Western Jatha from Mumbai narrated how his jatha had started from Southern Mumbai, one of the richest areas in India and travelled through Thane, Dhule and Nandurbar, which are among the poor and backward regions of the country. He said that due to the neglect of the governments, peasants in Nandurbar are facing drought. He stated that if the government does not give tax concessions to the rich and corporates, many irrigation projects across the country can be completed, to ensure that there is no drought in the country.

Biman Bose who was part of the Eastern Jatha that started from Kolkata spoke about the experiences of his jatha and criticised the policies of the UPA government that is responsible for the hardships of the people. He said the Left Front in West Bengal was formed through struggles waged on the issues of the people for many years before it had come to power. He said that only struggle will ensure a real alternative for the people.

Manik Sarkar, chief minister of Tripura addressing the rally said the alternative policies which are pro-people that the Left Front government in Tripura pursued has strengthened the progressive forces in the state and paved the way for the formation of the Seventh Left front government in Tripura. He exhorted the people to fight for a better future.

Huge Rally at Ramlila Grounds Calls for Mass Struggle for Alternative Policies

 

 CPI(M) calls for wide spread movement to establish the six fundamental demands raised for the people. In a massive rally on 19th March at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi it announced a programme of Dharna or sit in demonstration with civil disobedience in the districts, blocks offices across the country from 15th to 31st May keeping the demands in forefront of land, food security, employment, Right to education and health, equal rights for women. The movements are to be launched from people’s gathering. If necessary one will court arrest also, announced CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat. This is but the initiation of a bigger struggle for implementation of alternative policies aimed at the betterment of the people. The thousands and thousands of people gathered in the heart of the capital resolved to launch a non-stop united struggle with other Left Parties across the country. The rally marked the convergence of four Jathas from across the four corners of the Country that traversed about 10,000km distance. The top leadership of the CPI(M) led these Jathas from various parts of the country. It started on 24th February from Kanyakumari with the Southern Jatha. In between 14th to 16th March the four Jathas reached New Delhi. After this was this gathering. The motive behind this Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha was to explain in front of the people about the necessity of struggle to establish the alternative policies. To carry the message of struggle to the masses. As CPI(M) Polit Bureau member said in this rally that people want struggle. People want to be a part of the struggle. At the call of the CPI(M) people had gathered in the heart of the capital as a part of the struggle and had left with the news of struggle.
In the gathering, the President of the meeting Prakash Karat in his commencing speech at the very onset made it clear about the very purpose of the meeting by saying when others are thinking about the forth coming election, this meeting is not for vote but for struggle. At the beginning of his speech he said in this gathering the bidi workers of solapur, the land labourers of Bihar-Uttar Pradesh are there and the toiling masses are there. This is the real India.
Prakash Karat said gradually the state of the toiling masses is worsening. The land of the farmers are being taken away, there is no food security, lakhs and lakhs of youth remain unemployed, there is no scope for education and health for all, atrocities on women is increasing. The central policies are for the multimillionaires; it is being framed for the benefit of the richest. All the assets of the country from land-factories-mines are being handed over to the multimillionaires. Due to the policies of the Government, prices of commodities are rising. In this year’s Central Budget there has been curtailment on subsidies on things, which are of use to the common people. Subsidies on petroleum product have been curtailed. After decontrol, the price of petrol has risen 21 times. The price of diesel is now going to rise every month. The farmers of this country are in trouble but Government subsidy is being curtailed. From 1999 onwards 2lakhs 90thousand farmers have committed suicide. The Government is unperturbed. Now by allowing 100 percent foreign investment in retail business, the livelihood of four crores of retail businessmen is going to be endangered.
He said unless the UPA Government can be removed from its seat, the condition of the people will not change. What is the alternative? The BJP is walking in their path of same liberalization policies, pampering the national and international capital. On the other hand they are competing with Congress in corruption. In recent times The BJP Chief Minister of Karnataka has been jailed for illegal mining corruption. BJP’s Narendra Modi’s Gujrat model is being talked about but what actually is this model that the multimillionaires know very well. They are being given land for no cost, electricity with no surcharge, tax benefit. So that they can ensure more profit. Gujrat is lagging behind in education-health. Gujrat is in the forefront in child malnutrition. The minorities have been awarded a second-class citizen status. This model will cause the downfall of the country.
Karat said that the only option against these policies of liberalization is to fight for the cause of the alternative policy. Through the mass struggle of poor, labours, farmers, youth, women, tribals a strong alternative policy has to be framed. The non-congress, non-BJP parties have to think whether the condition of the poor people can improve without an alternative policy. They should come forward but whether they come or not CPI(M) along with other Left Parties will continue with the fight for an alternative policy.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau members, Sitaram Yechury, Biman Bose, Brinda Karat, Manik Sarkar also addressed the gathering.
The huge gathering of poor people under the banner of the red flag in the heart of the capital will take back the message of struggle to all the parts of the country. In the coming days the struggle of the poor for the alternative policies will spread to the nook and corner of the country. That is the message of the huge rally at Ramlila Grounds, New Delhi.