ANDAMAN & NICOBAR 

CPI(M) Protests Failure In Solving Problems

IN protest against the failure of the Island Development Authority (IDA), during its recently held meeting at Port Blair, to address the burning problems facing the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the state committee of the CPI(M) observed a Protest Day in the islands on January 28. At Port Blair, the capital city of this union territory, a procession was taken out from the Phoenix Bay to Aberdeen Bazar. Wending its way through the thoroughfares of the town, the procession culminated in a public meeting at Municipal Park in Aberdeen Bazar at 5.30 pm.

Speaking on the occasion, A N Pariel, secretary of the CPI(M) state committee, said the IDA meeting did not take any decision on the long-pending and burning issues facing the islanders. He said though the prime minister’s visit to the island cost crores of rupees spent from the public exchequer, there was a complete failure on part of the local MP about convincing the prime minister and other ministers to take on-the-spot decisions, in the union territory itself.

It will be noted that inhabitants of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have for long been demanding (i) a legislative assembly for the union territory, (ii) solution to the severe drinking water scarcity, and (iii) solution to the unemployment problem, among other things.

Speakers at the public meeting all said that none of the demands of the government employees was solved during the IDA meeting and the prime minister’s visit. They said the MP only misused the government-controlled media to create a wrong impression that all the major demands would be solved during the prime minister’s visit to the union territory. Those who spoke on the occasion included B Chandrachoodan, A Rajan, S B Chatterjee and P Abdul.

Hundreds of people participated in the procession and the subsequent public meeting.