Left parties rally in Patna for food security to all

Thousands of workers of CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc and RSP on Friday took out a joint protest march in the Bihar state capital, Patna in support of their nine-point charter of demands, including food security to all. They also blocked the busy Dak Bungalow roundabout for nearly 90 minutes in the afternoon, causing snarls in the downtown areas.

The march, which originated from the Gandhi Maidan under the leadership of CPI state secretary Rajendra Prasad Singh, CPM state secretary Vijay Kant Thakur and Forward Bloc state secretary Vakil Thakur, culminated into a dharna at the Dak Bungalow roundabout.

Addressing the demonstrators, CPI national secretary and MP Gurudas Dasgupta, called upon the Left workers to roll up their sleeves for a more aggressive agitation on the issue of food security to all. Holding the Centre's "neoliberal economic policy" responsible for increasing cases of starvation and malnutrition, he said people had no option but to agitate for food security.

Their other demands include adoption of a universal public distribution system (PDS) by abolishing the below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) categories, supply of 35kg of wheat or rice per month at Rs 2 per kg to all families, withdrawal of the UPA government's Food Security Bill, end of discrimination among needy people on the basis of BPL and APL categorization, cancellation of bogus estimation of the so-called poverty line by the Planning Commission, publication of correct list of BPL families in Bihar, strengthening of PDS shops in Bihar and implementation of the recommendations of National Commission on Farmers, headed by M S Swaminathan.

Dasgupta said the four Left parties would continue to agitate on the streets unless the Centre and state governments made necessary arrangements to ensure supply of 35kg of wheat or rice per month at the rate of Rs 2 per kg to all families irrespective of their BPL and APL status.

Addressing the protestors CPIM State Secretary Com. Vijay Kanth Takur urged the state government to declare Bihar, drought hit state following the lesser amount of rain received in the year. 

(Courtesy : TOI)

Left parties organise rally in Bangalore as part of nationwide campaign

Left parties on Friday took out a  rally in Bangalore as part of all-India campaign the parties have organised on issues related to the public distribution system. It was a culmination of a month-long campaign on food security and price rise. that citizens across the country be given their right to food.

Led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, the rally from the Bangalore City Railway Station to Freedom Park. A memorandum that demands a rectification of irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS) was submitted to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar after the agitation.

The members spoke about how the Union government has “failed” to check the rising food prices. They demanded that the PDS be made universal, allowing all citizens irrespective of their poverty status to have access to essential commodities through the system. “The PDS is not being implemented properly. We are seeking a universal system, as opposed to a targeted one so that all those in need of food have unlimited access,” said G.C. Bayya Reddy of the CPI(M)

CPI(M) State secretary G.V. Sreerama Reddy criticised the “anti-poor policies” of the government. Their other demands included 35 kg of rice for each below poverty line family at a subsidised rate of Rs. 2 per kg, proper determination of the poverty line, cancellation of the unit system and setting up of government fair price shops for every 2,000 card holders.