PUNJAB

Encouraging Response To Left Parties’ Jathas

 Charan Singh Virdi

THE joint jatha march taken out by CPI(M) and CPI covering whole of Punjab from June 8 to 12, 2005 concluded successfully after giving a message of building broad based movement against privatisation of PSEB, government schools and hospitals, cooperative sugar mills and government industrial training institutes. The jatha also raised three other burning demands of the people namely unemployment, strengthening of public distribution system and controlling rampant corruption in the administration.

The jatha march also called upon people to beware of the machinations of Akali Dal (Badal) and other communal forces who are raising divisive issues like erection of memorial to anti-national and extremist elements such as Bhindranwale and his killer squads who were killed in Operation Blue Star 21 years ago.

The main aim of jatha march has been to convey the people’s anger against privatisation measures of Amrinder Singh government along with highlighting of burning issues of the people.

The state coordination committee of the Punjab units of CPI(M) and CPI identified the above burning issues affecting all sections of the people and decided to build a broad based joint struggle upon these issues. As a first step, a state level convention was held on May 10, 2005 at Desh Bhagat Memorial Hall, Jalandhar. This convention decided to hold jatha march in June to rouse the public opinion for building the broad based struggle on the issues identified.

There were two jathas; one started from Amritsar after paying obeisance to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh. This jatha was participated by around 600 cadres and local opinion leaders who addressed sizeable gatherings at Amritsar village, Ratala, Pathankot, Mukerian, Hoshiarpur, Nangal. The jatha concluded at Jalandhar on June 10. The second jatha began on June 9, after paying obeisance at the memorial of Shahid Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at Hussainiwalla. The leaders participating in this jatha also addressed sizeable gatherings at Ferozepur Dharamkot, Moga, Sangrur, Dirbha, Patran, Patiala, Rajpura, Banur before concluding at Chandigarh. Around 700 cadre and activists participated in this jatha. Both the jathas were flaged off by Balwant Singh, state secretary of CPI(M) and Joginder Dayal, state secretary of CPI. State secretariat members of both the parties, among whom included Lahambar Singh Taggar, Charan Singh Virdi, Rachhpal Singh, Raghunath Singh, Vijay Misra from CPI(M) and Jagroop Singh, Hardev Singh Arshi, Harbhajan Singh, Bant Singh Brar and Kartar Singh Bisani from CPI participated in these jathas. The speakers reminded the people of the dark days through which they had to pass when Bhindranwale and other terrorists, abetted and supported by imperialists, played havoc with their lives, killing more than 26,000 innocent people and wrecking communal harmony and threatening the very unity and integrity of the nation. The jatha leaders called upon the people to uphold the banner of secularism boldly.

The jathas were also presented purses at various places apart from good reception. This united action of CPI and CPI(M) has created an atmosphere of enthusiasm for cadres and rank and file of both the parties. The coverage of the programme in the media was also good.

To chalk out the next phase of action progamme, the state coordination committee is scheduled to meet on June 20.