People's Democracy

  CPI(M) Intensifies Agitation In Bihar

Arun Kumar Mishra

AS per a decision of the CPI(M)’s Bihar state committee, demonstrations and dharnas were staged in different districts to press the 10-point charter of demands concerning the common people of the state. Hunger deaths, non-implementation of the food for work programme, large scale corruption in “Indira Awas Yojna,” non-availability of water and electricity, the spectre of flood and drought, total collapse of the public distribution system, repression against women and dalits, CBI inquiry in flood relief scam, generation of employment etc were the issues on which people were mobilised for mass action. Dharnas and demonstrations were organised on May 27, in 123 blocks over 17 districts.

In most of the cases, government officials did not face the ire of these common people and fled from their workplaces. In dozens of blocks, demonstrators locked up the offices and completely stopped the work. The action received big response from the suffering masses, with the CPI(M) calling for intensifying the movement.

In between, hunger deaths have been reported from drought affected Nawada and Jehanabad districts and from Aurai block in Muzaffarpur district. The CPI(M) has demanded immediate relief for the starving masses in these districts and implementation of the food for work programme in every district.

Though the CPI(M) is yet to get the full picture of food for work programme being implemented in 15 districts of Bihar, preliminary reports suggest that this much publicised programme of the UPA government may meet the same fate as did most of the central and state government sponsored programmes to ameliorate the lot of the poor. While the programme has not yet started in some districts, in other districts officials are not following the instructions given in the programme document. Machines and tractors are being used to remove the earth and carry it. Minimum wage is not provided. There is widespread violation of the stipulated ratio of grain and money to be given to a worker. In Madhubani district, the minimum wage was raised from Rs 55 to Rs 65 after the intervention of the CPI(M) unit. The party has decided to investigate the ongoing works and has deputed its state secretariat members to cover various districts and get detailed reports in order to launch a sustained movement in the coming months.

SPECTRE OF FLOOD

The spectre of flood is haunting Bihar once again. While the monsoon is expected to arrive in the second week of June, the government is completely unprepared to face the situation. The committee to suggest measures to the government on this vital issue had recommended the repair of 329 bunds that were damaged by the floods last year, but only 81 have been repaired. Crores of rupees out of the money allotted by the centre to meet the flood situation have been squandered, for example in Darbhanga district. The CPI(M) has been highlighting this issue time and again and has decided to mobilise the masses against the government apathy.

For a few weeks, Bihar is reeling under an unprecedented heat wave, with Patna breaking the 65 years record and experiencing 44º to 46º celsius temperatures for a week together. Water table has touched the lowest level in most of the districts. Wells and taps have gone dry. Natural water sources have also dried up, creating water famine in most of the districts. Patna is the worst affected city. Most of the residents are getting highly polluted water and even this is not supplied most of the time as electricity is not available. The outbreak of hepatitis has created a scare among the city dwellers. The reckless use of abundant water resources and absence of consciousness against pollution, is a warning signal to the authorities that they have to tackle the situation head on and ensure safe and adequate water to the people. Recently, the CPI(M) launched an agitation on the issue of electricity and water availability, and is to intensify it in the months to come.

DALIT OPPRESSION 

Some more reports of dalit oppression have poured in from different parts of the state. CPI(M) units have intervened in succeeded incidents, filed FIRs and forced the police authorities to act.

A woman was raped at Pupri in Sitamarhi district. The local CPI(M) unit intervened, mobilised the people and staged a demonstration before the SP office. An FIR was registered and one of the accused arrested.

A dalit woman was raped under Rajauli police station in Nawada district and her husband murdered when he tried to save her. The CPI(M) immediately organised a protest demonstration.

At Kamalpur village in Madhubani district, Sukhlal Safi and his daughter-in-law were attacked and told to hand over to the attackers the allotted land to them. The local CPI(M) unit intervened and tried to save the victims. Later, the miscreants, with their eyes on the piece of land, also attacked the house of Sonadhari Yadav of the CPI(M). However, Yadav’s life was saved because he was away at that time. On May 29, the party organised a big protest meeting in the village when, despite the scorching heat, more than two and a half thousand men and women participated in the meeting. With their traditional arms in hands, they paraded the main streets of the village, which boosted the morale of the oppressed people of the entire area. The meeting was addressed among others by CPI(M) Central Committee member Hannan Mollah, state secretary Vijay Kant Thakur and state secretariat members Awadhesh Kumar and Sarangdhar Paswan.