The CPI (M) activists started three-day long ‘satyagraha' and ‘jail bharo' movement from Thursday in Ganjam, the home district of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
On Thursday CPI (M) activists courted arrest in Bhanjanagar. During the next two days similar ‘satyagraha' and ‘jail bharo' movements would be held in other two sub-divisional headquarters of the district, Chatrapur and Berhampur.
The CPI (M) has taken up this agitation to protest against ‘anti-people and anti-labour policies' of the State as well as Central government.
Around 500 CPI (M) activists from Digapahandi, Aska, Bhanjanagar, Sorada, Belaguntha and Shergarh blocks had gathered up for the agitation in Bhanjanagar. They included over 200 women. All had come over to court arrest with the promise that they would not try for their release. They took out a rally from Biju Patnaik square and marched up to the office of the sub-collector. They were led by leaders of the party such as Basudev Gouda, Nilamani Guru, Kailash Sadangi, Gopal Panigrahy and Laxman Padhi .
The rally culminated in a public meeting which was addressed by the State secretariat member of the party Ali Kishore Patnaik along with other leaders. Mr. Patnaik said through this peaceful mean of protest they wanted to open the eyes of the legislators and the government who forget the plight of the downtrodden.
The “State government could all of a sudden hike salary and perks of MLAs to around Rs. 60,000 per month but it is yet to take any decision to hike minimum daily wage of menial workers who are overburdened by inflation despite repeated demands,” he said.
After the public meeting all these agitators courted arrest. The police took all of them into custody.
The “police and administration were in a fix regarding where to house all the arrested persons who included a large number of women. So, most of the agitators including all women were freed in the afternoon. But 36 leaders of the party from the six blocks were decided to be sent to Bhanjanagar jail,” Mr. Patnaik said.
These persons have decided not to make any effort for their release through bail. It may be noted that in April the State secretary of the party Janardan Pati had led a similar ‘jail bharo' movement held in Bhubaneswar. Mr Pati had spent more than a week in jail.
(Source The Hindu)
