People's Democracy

KERALA

Antony Forced To Withdraw Power Tariff Hike

Collectorate Offices Blockaded by 50,000 CPI(M) Volunteers

Aboo Backer

FACED with massive resistance of the people under the leadership of CPI(M), the Kerala chief minister, A K Antony, was forced to withdraw the savage hike in power tariff, imposed by his government on the people of the state. No section of population had been spared by this hike. A militant statewide agitation under the aegis of the Left Democratic Front evoked good support among the people which led to many Congress big guns openly dissociating from Antony's decision. Pushed into a corner, the CM beat a hasty retreat and announced the roll back after a cabinet meeting on September 4.

"It is a victory of people's power. The government should learn a lesson and backtrack from its anti-people policies." This was the immediate reaction of CPI(M) state secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan. He also called upon the people to recognise how anti-people measures can be fought back with united struggles. Referring to the chief minister's decision of forming a cabinet sub-committee to study ADB's proposals regarding modernisation of administration, Pinarayi said that it shows Antony is still pursuing the same policies.

The LDF convenor, Paloli Mohammed Kutty, announced that the agitation programme chalked out specifically against the power tariff hike stands cancelled after the government's withdrawal of the hike. He congratulated the people on this victory.

Earlier, even as people ware venting their anger at the unbearable burden imposed on them through the hike in power tariff, the government had announced that it will also increase the water charges. It had also warned that further hikes in power tariff cannot be ruled out. However, resistance to these measures grew by the day. Kerala witnessed popular protests led by the CPI(M). The Left Democratic Front committee which met on August 31, had given a call of two-day statewide hartal on September 17-18 demanding complete withdrawal of the power tariff hike. This hartal now stands cancelled.

There have been widespread protest actions against this hike. For the first time in the history of Kerala, all 14 collectorate and 53 taluk offices were effectively blockaded on September 2 by CPI(M) activists. Nearly 50,000 volunteers, marched from their respective camps to these offices and began their blockade at 8.30 a.m. They raised slogans against Antony government's policies of globalisation and privatisation. They practically occupied all the gates of these offices and nobody was allowed to get in. The blockade of Thiruvananthapuram collectorate office was conducted under the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan, the state secretary of CPI(M) and the programme was inaugurated by V S Achuthanandan, leader of opposition and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member. The blockade of Kozhikode collectorate office was inaugurated by E K Nayanar, former chief minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member.

Though the CPI(M) volunteers were prepared to court arrest as part of the jail bharo programme from September 2 to 12, there were no arrests except in two centres. DYFI too conducted dharnas at many places in the state against this hike.

A number of offices of State Electricity Board could not function on August 30 due to demonstrations, gherao etc. Police resorted to lathicharge in many places to disperse black-flag demonstrators at official functions of ministers. The LDF has chalked out a phased agitation plan against the LPG policies of Antony government. Accordingly On September 2, all collectorate and taluk offices in the state were blockaded. From September 2 to 12 jail bharo programme would be conducted in which thousands would court arrest against this hike.

There is a conscious effort by Antony to crush the growing agitation against this hike using the police under Director General of Police, Joseph, who is Antony's own man. The police are raining lathi-blows on the young men and women of Kerala who protested this unprecedented hike in power tariff. Police used brutal force on DYFI workers and at certain places on AIYF workers. At Thiruvananthapuram, the agitated young men belonging to both these organisations besieged the secretariat building. The police resorted to a brutal lathi charge, beating the young men and women like anything. At Paravur in Ernakulam district, the police fired into the air to disperse a group of agitated young men.

This desperate servant of the foreign and monopoly capital acting as their agent in Kerala has shamelessly yielded to their agenda and had heavily burdened the people with the hike in power-rates to pave way for full privatisation of the power sector. He has bulldozed his cabinet to take the most unwise decision. All, except the Congress ministers have expressed their displeasure at this decision. Senior Congress leader and former chief minister K Karunakaran charged that the Congress Party and its legislature wing have no role in the present government. He said that the chief minister, A K Antony has now been fully isolated from the majority of the Congress Party and even by the ministers of other parties.

Another senior Congress leader, Vayalar Ravi, had decried this hike at a meeting of Congressmen at Kottayam. He is reported to have said that economic reforms does not necessarily mean privatisation.