People's Democracy

AS we go to the press (April 25), news has come that the bandh call given by nine Left and secular parties has been a total success in Mumbai and throughout the state of Maharashtra. The call was given in protest against the anti-working class, anti-peasant policies of LPG (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) being pursued by the BJP-led central government as well as the INC-NCP led state government of Maharashtra, and also against the corrupt and anti-national Enron deal.

The parties that gave the bandh call were the CPI(M), CPI, PWP, JD(S), SP, RPI(Atawale), Kamgar Aghadi, LNP(L) and SJP. Apart from the Trade Union Joint Action Committee comprising the CITU, AITUC, HMS and HMKP, the unions of bank and insurance employees, port and dock workers and other sections, the unions affiliated to the INTUC, BMS and Shiv Sena also took part in the bandh.

The Maharashtra bandh was a complete and unprecedented success, with all normal life coming to a halt in the state capital Mumbai, other major cities like Pune, Nasik, Thane, Kolhapur, Sholapur, Aurangabad and Nagpur, in all district and tehsil centres and all over rural Maharashtra as well.