People's Democracy

NOVEMBER 3 is going to be observed as a "protest day" in the entire state of Gujarat against the state government's ruinous anti-people policies. It will be marked by rallies, dharnas and other forms of protests.

A massive state convention of Rashtriya Jansangthan Manch (NPMO) held on September 30 at Bhavnagar, gave this call. The convention was attended by more than 600 delegates representing various sections of the working people. In a special resolution adopted, the convention called upon all mass organisations to intensify, in a united manner, their struggle against both the state and central government's privatisation and globalisation policies.

A unanimous resolution has also been passed demanding the central government to enact a special Act to overcome the recent Supreme Court decision on contract labour. Otherwise a wide movement would be launched threatened NPMO.

The convention also passed a resolution declaring Gujarat’s total participation in any all India Strike call given by the NPMO against these policies.

One of the striking features of this convention was the participation of a large number of organisations and leaders.

Baledevebhai Patel, leader of the central struggle committee of all unions working in the Gujarat State Electricity Board, representing nearly 85,000 employees was present. He declared, on behalf of the committee total support to the struggle.

Leader of state transport unions, Satubha Gohil declared on behalf of Gujarat State Transport Corporation workers full support. Their president Shri Pilviker had expired suddenly just two days back earlier and the convention observed two minute silence as a mark of respect.

HMKP leaders P Chidambaram participated along with his erstwhile colleague Jayanti Panchal and 90 other delegates from all over the state.

All the three main postal unioins were also represented.

Teachers, intellectuals, leaders of various unions in banks, ONGC, Railways, agricultural labour and women also took part in the deliberations. A big contingent of CITU delegation, leaders of AIKS, SFI, DYFI, AIDWA also participated in the convention.

All the four Municipal corporators of Bhavnagar, Bhupat Mer, Manekben Makwana, Hardevsingh Gohil and Arun Mehta worked hard for making this convention a big success.

The people of Gujarat are facing the brunt of the impact of these ruinous policies. The Gujarat Small Scale Industrial Association itself has stated that in all more than 85,000 industrial units have closed down throwing nearly 15 lakh workers out of job. After liberalising imports for 1429 items, the small scale industrial as well as co-operative sector in Gujarat has almost totally collapsed. The textile processing activity in Surat received a crushing jolt. Subodh Mehta , while moving the main resolution in the convention dealt with these issues in detail.

He stressed that to resist and defeat these policies, an intense political struggle to remove the menace of BJP-rule from our country, is the need of the hour. The slogan has to be " To Save India, Remove BJP from Office". He called upon the people of the state to make ‘November 3’ protest day a resounding success.

Bajaj, CITU Maharashtra state unit president, while inaugurating both the sessions of the convention criticised the BJP led government for launching severe onslaughts on the working people of the nation.