CPI (M) protest against price rice in Tamil Nadu

 CPI (M) workers across Tamil Nadu were arrested when they staged road roko to highlight the steep hike in milk price, bus fare and proposed power tariff increase.

In south Chennai, the party's State secretary G. Ramakrishnan led the cadres in the protest. Addressing the cadre, Mr. Ramakrishnan called upon democratic forces to come together to fight against the price rise, which had severely affected the poor and the middle class. “The government is making huge profits through sale of liquor and sand quarrying and the money could be used to fill the deficit. There is no need to increase the price.” 

In north Chennai, the protest was led by the party's Legislative Party leader A. Soundararajan. Com Soundararajan and others were arrested. They were released in the evening

In Tirunelveli the protest demonstration was led by state committee member of the party P. Sampath, the cadres blocked traffic near Parasakthi Building in Tirunelveli Junction and 101 protestors, including six women, were arrested. In similar agitation organised at ten places in rural Tirunelveli, 427 persons were detained. All the arrested protestors were released.

A total of 104 cadres were arrested after staging a road roko. Spearheading the agitation, K.S. Arjunan, town secretary, said the commoners could not bear the burden of the price hike abruptly. Nagercoil

The members staged a road roko in Nagercoil, Kuzuthurai, Kulasekaram and Melpuram. The police arrested 500 activists while they staged road roko in four places. Later they were released. The district secretary, Murugesan, led the agitation in Nagercoil. They earlier took out a procession on Semmankudi road and staged the agitation.

Nearly 1,100 cadre of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) were arrested in  Thanjavur and Tiruvarur district. In Thanjavur 500 members, including 100 women were arrested when they stopped buses at the old bus stand and squatted on the road. T.K.G.Neelamegam, district secretary, led the agitation. Protests were organised at 12 places in the district. All the arrested were released later.

In Tiruvarur, Balasubramaniyan, state executive committee member, spearheaded the protest. Agitations were held at Tiruvarur, Mannargudi, Koradachery, Needamangalam, Nannilam and Edaiyur.

Over 1,300 CPI(M) cadre, including women, were taken into custody when they organised picketing at 10 places in the district on Monday. Nagai Mali, MLA, and V. Marimuthu, former MLA, both at Kizhvelur, A. V. Murugaiyan, district secretary of the party, Sikkal, were among the arrested. The CPI (M) functionaries were arrested in Mayiladuthurai, Melapidagai, Sembanarkoil, Kariapattinam, Thittachery, Sirkazhi, Kuthalam, and Thalaignanayiru. All of them were released in the evening. 

A total of 441 cadre, including 68 women, were rounded off at 16 places in Pudukottai District. P. Shanmugam, district executive committee member, and Agathialingam, state Secreteriate member, were present at the agitation. Similar protests were conducted at Tirumayam, Gandarvakottai, Arimalam, Ponnamaravathi, and Avudaiyarkoil.

Forty-three CPI (M) members courted arrested near Kamaraj arch in Perambalur. The protest was led by Mani, state secreteriate committee member.

About 154 cadre were arrested at Ariyalur, and Jayamkondam. CPI M cadres were arrested in the Thiruchy city and elsewhere in the Tiruchi district. CPI (M) functionaries carrying party flags assembled at the Chathram bus stand in the city to carry out the agitation. Led by the party's district secretary S.Sridhar, the party members raised slogans against the government for hiking bus fares and increasing milk price. They sat on the road near the bus stand before being arrested.

The party cadre were also arrested at Manachanallur, Thuraiyur, Uppiliapuram, Musiri, Thottiyam, Tiruverumbur, Manapparai and Lalgudi when they attempted to indulge in picketing agitations. All those arrested were later released.

The police arrested Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres when they tried to block roads at Namakkal, Tiruchengode, Elachipalayam, Vepadai and Kumarapalaya.

More than 800 activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were removed by the police at 13 places in the Coimbatore district .In the city, Coimbatore MP P.R. Natarajan led the demonstrators. More than 500 activists were removed by the police when they attempted picketing at Flower Market, Gandhipuram, Ganapathy, Saravanampatti, Singanallur, Town Hall and Kuniamuthur. In Coimbatore rural district, more than 300 activists were removed when they attempted picketing at Malumichampatti, Kavundampalayam, Thudialur, Mettuppalayam, Sulur and Pollachi.

A total of 778 CPI (M) members courted arrest in Tiruppur when they blocked roads in various parts of the district. Tirupur South MLA K. Thangavel, who was among those arrested, said the government's justification that the costs were increased to reduce the losses of respective corporations/federation such as Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), was wrong. “For example, when private buses are running in profit even at the older ticket rates, how come the State-owned TNSTC was registering losses year after year?” he asked. The CPI (M) men were of the opinion that the inefficiency in the operational front was the sole reason for the respective three government bodies to incur losses every financial year.

On the power front, transmission losses and electricity theft compounded with poor administration deteriorated the fiscal state of the TANGEDCO. “The government should rollback the prices of these essential things without any delay and save the poor,” the agitators demanded. The agitations were held at Tirupur city, Gudimangalam, Palladam, Uthukuli and six other places.

A total of 180 members of Communist Party of India (Marxist) including the party's Central Committee member N. Varadharajan and Dindigul MLA K. Balabarathi were arrested when they picketed AMC Road in Dindugal District. Addressing the gathering, the CPI(M) Central Committee member, N. Varadharajan, said that the people elected AIADMK and chose Ms. Jayalalithaa as the Chief Minister as an alternative to the DMK hoping that she would ensure better governance. But Ms. Jayalalithaa had started adopting anti-people policies. Sudden hike in bus fare and price of milk had already burdened the people much.

A total of 220 CPI(M) partymen including 19 women in Theni and 110 members including 10 women were arrested in Cumbum when they picketed Theni-Madurai Main Road before Theni bus stand and Cumbum Main Road in Cumbum in the Theni district. poured milk on the road near Nehru statue to protest against the hike in prices of milk and bus fare.

In Erode town, members of the party took out a rally before blocking the traffic in front of the Collectorate. They blocked roads at Gobichettipalayam, Sathyamangalam, Bhavani, Kodumudi and a number of other places in Erode District. The police arrested the agitators and released them in the evening.

As many as 561 cadre of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were removed for blocking roads at nine places in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts. In Krishnagiri, a total of 230 CPI (M) cadre including 23 women were removed by the police for staging road roko agitation.

CPI (M) district secretary D. Ravindran participated in the agitation near Denkanikottai bus stand. As many as 55 cadres, including seven women, were removed. Only 14 cadres took part in the agitation held before the office of the Revenue Divisional Officer in the Old Bengaluru Road. In Hosur, the agitation was held before the Municipal Office . P. Sundararajan, State Committee Member, gave a special address. Forty five cadre, including five women, were removed in Hosur. Thirty-nine cadres were removed in Shoolagiri and 35 in Pochampalli.

In Dharmapuri district, 331 cadres including 93 women participated in the road blockade agitation at Dharmapuri and Harur towns. In Dharmapuri town secretary D. Ramachandran presided over the agitation in front of the Taluk Office.

CPIM Cadres staged a demonstration in front of the Madurai District Collectorate. Hundreds of party workers both men and women joined the protest, which was led by the party's Madurai urban district secretary, D.Vikraman and State committee member and M.L.A. R.Annadurai. Similar protests were held across the district in eight places in the rural areas.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)