People's Democracy

T Narayanan

ACTIVISTS of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) laid siege to the Kochi port and 21 railway stations all over Kerala on December 18, protesting against the central government’s import policy and increasing unemployment. The siege brought to a standstill the entry and outgoing of all vessels in one of the biggest ports in the country as also the train traffic in the state.

All the six entrances to the Kochi port were blocked by thousands of DYFI volunteers in boats, fishing vessels and canoes from 6 a m till late in the evening. The one kilometre long waterway from Fort Kochi to Vypeen Island was filled with small vessels tagged together and tugged to boats by nylon ropes, making a "train of boats." The DYFI volunteers’ actions were enthusiastically joined by hundreds of boat workers and fishermen.

A stage was erected for the leaders to address those who had assembled for the siege, on a barge called ‘Success Line,’ bedecked with red and white flags and a huge banner declaring "Manushya Maha Sangamam in the Arabian Sea."

Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) state secretary, inaugurated the blockade. M A Thomas, MLA, presided. NCP state president Kadannappally Ramachandran, RSP state secretary T J Chandrachoodan, DYFI state president P R Vasanthan, DYFI state treasurer John Fernandez, MLA, and Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation’s state president Lal Koyi Paramb spoke.

Addressing the gathering, Pinarayi Vijayan lambasted the central government for the steep fall in the prices of cash crops like rubber and coconut, throwing the agricultural sector of the state into a severe crisis. While a tax of 200 per cent may be levied on imported edible oil, the centre was levying only 16 per cent on palm oil. The quantity of the imported oil had increased from 2.5 lakh to 42 lakh tons. Thus the central government was waging a veritable war against the people. Kerala is the worst affected because of these imports and its peasantry has become paupers, concluded Vijayan.

A dharna was held in front of the Cochin Port Trust office, inaugurated by Pinarayi Vijayan, and addressed by CITU district president K Chandran Pillai and Kochi mayor C M Dinesh Moni.

The siege on 21 important railway stations started at 4.30 in the morning and ended at 6 p m. The blockade in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram was inaugurated by DYFI state secretary T Sasidharan.

The blockade at Kollam railway station was inaugurated by CPI(M) Central Committee member and state CITU general secretary P K Gurudasan.

In Alappuzha district, the siege at Alappuzha railway station was inaugurated by CPI(M) Central Committee member M A Baby and at Kayamkulam by party district secretary V Kesavan.

The siege at Kottayam was inaugurated by the DYFI’s all-India joint secretary K N Balagopal.

In Palakkad district, three railway stations, viz, Palakkad Jn, Palakkad Town and Shornur Jn, were blockaded. The actions were inaugurated by N N Krishnadas, MP, CPI(M) district secretary P Unni and CPI(M) state secretariat member M Chandran. In the district, the telephone exchange was sieged at Agali, not connected by railway line.

The blockade of Thrissur railway station was inaugurated by SFI state secretary M B Rajesh. In Kozhikkode district, the railway stations at Kozhikkode, Vadakara and Koyilandi were seiged.

In Wayanad and Idukki districts where no railway lines exist, telephone exchanges at Kalpetta and Adimali and the regional spices office at Negumgandom were blockaded.

The railway authorities were forced to cancel all short distance and long distance trains in view of squatting on the railway tracks by thousands of DYFI volunteers at various centres. Trains entering the state through Kasargode, Palakkad and Parassala could not continue their journey. Goods traffic also came to a standstill.

The protestors accused the Vajpayee government of jeopardising the nation’s sovereignty at the dictates of US imperialism and the World Bank-IMF-WTO trio.

All over the country, more and more youth are loitering without any employment. Many public sector undertakings are being sold out, rendering thousands of workers jobless. Recently the prime minister announced that 3.5 lakh central government employees would be sacked within four years, and the process has already started in telecom sector, etc.

The fall in prices of agricultural commodities like rubber, copra, arecanut, pepper, coffee, tea, etc, owing to the export–import policy of the central government, has destroyed the economic structure of a state like Kerala that is dependent on these very commodities. The import duty on coconut oil has been reduced from 350 to 80 per cent, resulting in huge reduction in the price of coconut, copra and coconut oil. In the coming months, as the production of coconuts as well as import of coconut oil increases, the prices of coconut and coconut products will plummet further.

Small-scale and cottage industries are also facing a severe crisis as a result of the export-import policies of the central government. This has made the unemployment problem more critical.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had assumed the role of a protector of "swadeshi’ when he was sitting on the opposition benches, has now shown his true colours after he and his party came to power.

As a result of all these factors, people all over the country are getting pauperised, forcing them to launch struggles. The DYFI-led sieges in Kerala were a part of the same process. People from all sections joined in thousands the DYFI volunteers in squatting on the rail tracks. It is estimated that over 5 lakh people joined in blockading the Kochi port and the railway stations. (INN)