Protest against increased railway Freight Charges

Ministry of Railways, keeping the whole country and the Parliament completely in dark increased freight charges on many essential items as well as industrial commodities that would further soar inflation and severe price rise. The order circular (no.TCR/1078/2010/21) issued on 20^th December will be effective from December, 27. Joint Director of the Railway Board Ashok Mehrotra has issued the order.

As a great betrayal to the public the railway minister increased the freight charges secretly when she has organized open meeting against the price hike at Esplanade in recent past. The new ‘fatwa’ of Mamata Banerjee would even upset the make-shift effort of the central government to curb down the soaring price of essential commodities.

CPI(M) West Bengal State Secretary and Chairman, Left Front Biman Basu has sharply criticized not only the order but way in which it has been endorsed keeping common people totally unaware and in the dark.

Railway while delimitating the freight has changed the classification of various items. The new order has changed the classification of sugar from no.110 to no.120. The freight charge of sugar transportation therefore is going to rise at a higher rate. For the first 100km transportation the freight charge would be Rs.100.10 per ton compared to the earlier rate Rs.91.70 per ton. For 200km to 210km it would be Rs.179 from earlier Rs.164; the increment is Rs. 15 per ton; for 501km the increment is Rs.32; for 1001km the amount is Rs.63; 1501km the amount is Rs.92 and for 2101km the increment is Rs.118.

The huge freight hike is doubtlessly going to push the price of sugar up in the market directly and have a cascading effect on other commodities also. The freight charge of ‘salt’ has also been charged at a similar rate. Besides that the rates of iron ore, cement, coal, steel and other base products are raised by 4% which is going to bash the market and have definitely a cascading effect on other essential consumer products in all forms of market.

When price of onions and almost all essential products have touched an unbearable height this increase of freight charge will

• Increase the transportation cost of the product;
• Increase the initial price of the commodity;
• Increase the price of other products of similar range;
• Increase other products in retail market;
• Encourage black marketers to hoard essential commodities;
• Suffocate common people in all aspects of life.

Another Untouchability Wall demolished in Tamil Nadu

Under severe pressure and protests by Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front and CPIM against the untouchability wall, Revenue officials on Saturday demolished two portions of a one-km-long compound wall in Nagarajapuram on the outskirts of the city, which had denied Dalits in the area access to the main road. The demolition of the “untouchability wall” along two stretches of 30 ft and 23 ft has now provided residents of the Dalit colony an easier access to the main road that stretches from Thadagam Road to Thondamuthur Road.

A real estate promoter had built the wall along his layout, measuring seven feet in height and two metre in width. The residents of the Dalit colony objected to this alleged discrimination.

They contended that the real estate promoter had built the wall fearing that the sites may not fetch a good price if Dalits had access to the approach roads at the layout. The wall had forced the Dalit colony residents to take a detour of more than a km to reach the main road.

The issue was brought to the fore by the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF). The approved layout plan had a reserve site on the other side of the compound wall which was shown as earmarked for a park. The approach road inside the layout from the main road ended just ahead of the park.

District convener of the TNUEF U.K. Sivagnanam was present when Tahsildars Lakshmikanthan (South) and S. Sundarrajan (North) inspected the wall. The officials first deputed a surveyor to measure the lands to ascertain the exact boundaries. The officials also checked with the local body on whether the reserve site and the approach roads in the layout had been handed over to the local body concerned.

On confirming that the layout was approved and the reserve site and approach roads had been handed over to the local body, the officials carried out the demolition on Saturday.

Using an earthmover, 30 ft length of the old compound wall at one place and another 23 ft of the new at the other end of the Dalit colony was demolished.

CPIM pay homage to Keezhvenmani victims

CPIM on Saturday paid homage to 44 Dalits of Keezhvenmani who were burnt to death on December 25, 1968, after a protracted agitation for higher wages for agricultural labour. The CPI (M), which observes the day as 'Venmani Martyrs Day', arranged for several events at the village today.CPI(M) and CPI leaders and cadre paid tribute at the place where the 44 persons were burnt alive

G. Ramakrishnan, State Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Soundarajan, State president, CITU, were among those who paid homage to the victims. People visited the pillar and ‘stupa' erected in memory of the women, children and men killed.

26 percent rise in onion exports

Speaking on the sidelines of the 42nd anniversary of the carnage, Mr. Ramakrishnan said there had been a 26 per cent rise in onion exports since September and the Centre was slumbering over it till it went uncontainable.

Evoking the ‘undying spirit' of the Dalits killed in the incident in the context of displacement caused by the current floods in the district, Mr. Ramakrishnan called for a “master plan' to prevent such disasters.

He reiterated the party's oft-stated demand for a hike in the compensation to Rs.15,000 per acre and to include the dilapidated colony houses under the Kalaignar's Housing Scheme.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

Home Minister's Letter: Partisan Approach

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The media has reported in detail the contents of a letter sent by the Union Home Minister to the Chief Minister of West Bengal regarding the alleged role of armed cadres of the CPI(M). These reports appeared in the media on December 25, after being briefed about its contents on the 24^th.

However, such a letter was not received by the Chief Minister till three days later on December 27.

This is a strange way of communication between the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of a state. The media is fully briefed about the letter even before the Chief Minister gets it. This shows that the purpose of the letter is to serve the political interests of the Trinamul Congress which is part of the Union Government.

The Union Home Minister owes an explanation for this partisan approach.