SURGING ANGER AGAINST PETRO HIKE

More On Nationwide Protests

TAMILNADU

PROTESTING against the petrol-diesel price hike effected by the UPA government, widespread protest movements were organised by the CPI(M) throughout Tamilnadu.  The CPI(M)-led protestors vented their anger against the consecutive increase in the prices of petrol and diesel which was placing an enormous burden on the lives of the people.  They also criticised the central government for completely ignoring the alternative proposals given by the Left parties in this regard. They charged the central government of pursuing the same disastrous economic policies as those of the then NDA government.  People’s anger was evident in their wide participation in the rallies and demonstrations organised against the price hike.

In fact, immediately on hearing the news about the price hike, powerful demonstrations were organised in many centres, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Nagercoil, Cuddalore, Salem, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Villupuram, Tuticorin, Kancheepuram, Dharmapuri and many taluk centres in the districts.  Trade Unions in insurance, transport, medical representatives, auto-rickshaw, lorry and van drivers and many unorganised sections participated in these protest demonstrations. The reaction to the hike was so spontaneous that it could take place even in remote places without any preplanning of the democratic movement.

In Cuddalore, the police indulged in a brutal lathicharge against CPI(M) activists who were peacefully demonstrating against the price hike resulting in serious injuries to 10 persons who had to be hospitalised. Sensing the anger of the people around, the SP had to tender public apology before them.  In many centres, the demonstrations turned into mass picketing and thousands courted arrest.  At Nagappattinam and Tuticorin, the protest turned into a rasta roko agitation. At Tiruchi more than 100 persons were arrested in a rail roko agitation.  In Madurai more than 150 CITU volunteers were taken into custody while resorting to a rail roko at the railway station.  In all the protest actions, the participation of women has been a significant aspect.

On June 28, at the call of the Left parties, joint resistance campaign was organised by the CPI(M) and CPI  throughout the state. A joint rally was held at Chennai, which was addressed by T K Rengarajan, central committee member of CPI(M) and R Nallakkannu, CPI national executive member; Joint rallies were held in more than 100 places in the entire state on June 28 which were participated by thousands of Party cadres, sympathizers and those belonging to different mass organisations. CPI(M) state secretary N Varadarajan, took part in the protest rally held at Theni while CPI state secretary D Pandian participated at Thiruvarur.

The organisations of auto-drivers, mini-van owners and lorry owners, decided not to ply their vehicles in the entire State of Tamilnadu and Pondicherry on June 28 as part of their protest against the hike.  The All India Motor Transport Owners Federation had given a call for strike on June 28.  That the people have not taken lightly these repeated hikes in the prices of petroleum products was evident in the massive participation in the joint protest rallies across the state. In one determined voice they demanded withdrawal of the price hike.

PUNJAB

The rasta rokio agitation was a success all over Punjab, including Chandigarh, as thousands of cadres and supporters of the CPI(M) and CPI detained buses and trains at more than 50 places, for two hours. Rallies and demonstrations were also oganised in several districts.

Addressing the protestors, speakers pointed out that Punjab alone consumes about 300 crore litres of diesel every year, and hence the petro price hike would adversely impact all sections of population, mostly the peasants, in the state. Hence the demand that the petro price hike must be immediately withdrawn.

ASSAM

RESPONDING to the national-level joint call of the Left parties, the Assam state units of Left and  democratic parties viz the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML)-Liberation, RSP, Samajvadi Party, NCP and Janata Dal (S) have jointly organised protest actions throughout the state on June 28 against the hike in prices of petrol and diesel.

In the capital city of Guwahati, the state leaders of the seven Left and democratic parties participated in the protest actions along with several hundreds of people. A procession was taken out from Dighall Pukhuri area in the city, which passed through the main thoroughfares of the city. The slogan-shouting protesters were led by CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman and central committee member Hemen Das, CPI leader Promod Gogoi and Bhogeswar Dutta, CPI(ML) Liberation leader Pankaj Das, Janata Dal (S) leader Harendra Dev Goswami, RSP leader Ratneswar Gogi, Samajvadi Party leader Syed Golam Akbar and NCP leaders. The leaders presented a memorandum addressed to the prime minister to the Deputy Commissioner. While presenting the memorandum, Uddhab Barman said, “such an increase in the price of petrol and diesel would adversely affect the interest of the common people, particularly the people of backward states of North-Eastern India.’ The parties demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike in petroleum prices.

Protest actions like dharnas, demonstrations, procession etc, were also held at Barpeta town, Bongaigaon, Tihu, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Naharkatia, Biswanath Chariali, Tezpur, Dheldjuli, Jamguri, Hajo, Nagarbera, Maharipara, Goreswar, Ranjia, Tangla, Silchar etc. Large number of people participated in these actions and demanded withdrawal of the hike in prices of diesel and petrol.

GUJARAT

Rasta roko and picketing actions were organised in various parts of Gujarat as part of the protest against the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel. There was impressive participation of people in these protests braving pouring rain. More than 2000 activists courted arrest during the action. These protests were held as part of the nationwide call given by the Left parties.

In spite of heavy rain in Bhavnagar, Baroda, Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Junagadh, CPI(M) and CPI protesters got together, shouted slogans against the price hike and staged chakka jam near Collectorate offices. Roads were blocked at Bhavnagar, Sabarkantha, and Rajkot for more than two hours.

Joint action programmes with the CPI were held at Ahmedabad, Baroda and Bhavnagar.

HARYANA

Protestors organised sit-in actions and blocked vehicular traffic at various places in Sirsa, Hissar, Fatehabad, Tohana, Jind, Panipat, Sonipat, Gurgaon, Narayangarh, Rohtak, Karnal and Yamunanagar to protest the recent hike in diesel and petrol prices.

RAJASTHAN

Rallies, rasta roko actions and demonstrations in front of DM and tehsildar offices marked the Left sponsored Protest Day in various parts of the state. Effigies of the union finance minister were also burnt at several places. Demonstrators were as if in control of the entire Sikar town while vehicular traffic came to a halt at several places including Jaipur, the state capital. In Jaipur, the district magistrate did not have the guts to face the demonstrators and ran away before the latter came to his office to submit a memorandum. It was only when the demonstrators decided to go to the governor that the DM came back and accepted the memorandum.

The recent firing on peasants in Kota and the death of some of them has added to the fury of the peasantry of Rajasthan against the LPG policies. The latter naturally took the recent petro price hike as adding insult to injury.

UTTAR PRADESH

Various forms of protest actions were organised by the CPI(M) and CPI units at Etawah, Basti, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Ballia, Oraiya, Mainpuri, Azamgarh and Bulandshahar. Effigies of the union finance minister were also burnt down at places. The speakers condemned the finance minister for his action at a time when the state is facing a drought situation. It was pointed out that the same finance minister had given a bonanza of Rs 5000 crore to the share market speculators.

It was also pointed out that the Left parties, support to the UPA government must not be construed as its weakness or compulsion.

BIHAR

Thousands of CPI(M) supporters organised rail roko and rasta roko actions at several places in the state. The police resorted to lathicharges in Saharsa and Sitamarhi, seriously injuring two and three party activists in these places respectively.

There was a tussle between the police and demonstrators at two places in Patna, before the protestors could be arrested.

Large scale arrests have been reported from all parts of the state. Movement of trains and vehicles was affected at various places. The CPI in the state chose to ignore the Left Coordination Committee and go with the CPI(ML) in organising protest action, which has a created a degree of confusion among the people regarding the state of Left unity.

JHARKHAND

State capital Ranchi, Hunterganj (Chatra), Jamshedpur, Kodarma, Godda, Nirsa, Baliapur and some other places witnessed protest actions in various forms. Effigies of the union petroleum minister were also burnt at places.