People's Democracy

THE CPI(M)’s state committee in Jharkhand has decided to launch a phased campaign from September 1. It will hold block level demonstrations on September 10 in pursuance of the four demands pertaining to the peasants and other rural poor. These are ---

1) Declaration of Jharkhand as famine-affected,

2) Provision of relief measures and a food-for-work programme,

3) Restoration of lands to the tribals and other poor from the hands of land usurpers, along with jobs, rehabilitation and compensation for the displaced persons, and

4) Immediate holding of panchayat elections for democratic decentralisation and empowering the people in developmental activities.

The party has also chalked out a simultaneous action plan by industrial and other workers. The demands they will press for are as below---

1. Declaration of the right to work as a fundamental right,

2) Stop to retrenchment and killing of job opportunities, filling up of all vacant posts and creation of new jobs,

3) Reopening of the closed industries, revival of sick industries, and provision of relief to the small, middle and cottage industries,

4) End to privatisation, strengthening of the public sector,

5) Effective enforcement of the statutory minimum wages.

The CPI(M)’s state committee finalised its phased action plan in the state following its two-day meeting in Ranchi, the state’s capital. Held with Rajendra Singh Munda in chair, the meeting was also attended by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Biman Basu who guided the deliberations.

The CPI(M) state committee took stock of the Marandi government’s domicile policy, the RSS-BJP game plan to divide the people on social, communal and parochial lines, and the activities of the mafia-contractor-landlord-moneylender combine that has been and is still looting the people of Jharkhand and their resources, including tribal lands, under the state government’s and the ruling parties’ protection. The CPI(M) said these enemies of the people, including the corrupt ministers of the BJP-led central and state governments, must be thoroughly exposed and struggles launched against them. (See People’s Democracy, August 11 and 18 issues for a detail of the issues involved.)

The CPI(M) state committee congratulated the working class and other poor sections in the rural Jharkhand for preserving their unity despite provocation and social divisions being deliberately created by the propertied classes and other vested interests.

The CPI(M) demanded that the Marandi government declare Jharkhand as famine-affected in view of the drought continuing since last year. It urged upon the peasants and other rural poor to stage a state level joint dharna on August 21 in front of the state assembly and make other actions successful.

According to the details worked out by the party, workers and employees will also hold gate meetings, pit meetings and public meetings, in industrial and urban areas, on September 10.

On September 20, district level demonstrations will be held jointly by the workers and peasants in pursuance of their demands. Other actions are also in the offing.