People's Democracy

Huge Responses to Jail Bharo Agitation

ASSAM

IN response to the call given by the March 12 Delhi rally organised by the Left parties, around 15,000 people courted arrest in Assam on April 8. In the state, the CPI(M) and CPI took joint initiative to organise the �Jail Bharo� programme. In some centres, the Forward Bloc and RSP workers also joined the protest action. At Silchar in Cachar district, the CPI(ML) Liberation also participated.

In Guwahati, around 300 workers of the CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc assembled in front of the GPO and organised a demonstration. The police arrested the volunteers and later released them. CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman, Central Committee member Hemen Das and CPI leader Drupad Borgohain led the demonstrators and addressed the protesters.

The programme was organised at 46 centres in the state. Our of these 46 centres, the CPI(M) and CPI jointly organised the programme in 15 centres. In the remaining 31, the CPI singly organised the programme in three centres.

Due to Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election slated on April 9, no programme could be held in the BTC area.

Uddhab Barman

ORISSA

AS per the call of the Left parties for a law  breaking movement throughout the country against price rise, and demanding land for the landless, employment to the unemployed and to protest against the Maoist-Trinamul attacks on the West Bengal Left Front, about 12,000 CPI(M) cadre in Orissa courted arrest on April 8. In spite of scorching heat throughout the state of Orissa, the Jail Bharo agitation took place in about 30 places including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Balasore, Baripada, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Puri, Khurdha, Nayagarh, Ranpur, Bhawanipatana, Paralakhemundi, Rayagada, Koida, Deogarh, Jagatsinghpur and Palalahada. Party leaders like CPI(M) state secretary Janardan Pati, state secretariat members Sivaji Patnaik, Jagannath Mishra, Dusmanta kumar Das, Bishnu Mohanty, Sisir Hui, Subash Singh and Ali Patnaik, and state committee members including Lambodar Nayak, Suresh Panigrahi, Tapasi Praharaj, Yameswar Samantaray, Banamali Dhupal, Nirmal Nayak, Pradipta Panda, Chandra Sekhar Nayak, Kalu Panda, Kailash Sarangi, Umesh Singh and Rebati Mahapatra courted arrest along with the party cadre. The law breaking movement was preceded by village and tehsil level meetings to make the programme a success. A joint poster and leaflet was issued and distributed throughout the state on behalf of the Left parties.

                                                                           Dusmanta Kumar Das