HIMACHAL PRADESH

Lok Morcha: A Front For Struggles Launched

Massive Rally in Shimla On October 27

 Tikender Singh Panwar

A STATE-level convention held on August 6, 2005 in the Kali Bari Hall, Shimla formed a ‘Lok Morcha’ comprising of organisations of students, youth, women, workers, peasants and people from the science movement.  The convention unanimously adopted a declaration, the focal slogan of which is ‘Defeat the ominous rule of those who are bent for privatisation and liberalisation’. The Lok Morcha has decided to hold a massive public meeting on October 27, 2005 in Shimla on issues concerning people’s livelihood. The target is to mobilise 10 per cent of the mass organisation membership of DYFI, SFI, JMS, PSM and Kisan Sabha and 20 per cent of the membership of CITU.

The proceedings of the convention were conducted by a presidium consisting of all presidents of the organisations. They included Ashok Negi (SFI), Ravinder Kumar (CITU), Manjeet Dogra (DYFI), Satya Galoda (JMS) and Sunder Lohia (PSM). In all, 415 delegates from 11 districts belonging to different mass and class organisations attended the convention.

The former MLA from Shimla and former CITU state president Rakesh Singha inaugurated the convention. In his brief inaugural speech, he highlighted the severe challenges the people of the country and the state are facing. He castigated both the Congress and the BJP for hoodwinking the people by their false promises and class-biased policies. Singha also placed the rationale behind the holding of this convention. He stated that the present Morcha is not a front for elections but a front for the struggle in which thousands of people shall be involved to defeat the nefarious policies of the bourgeoisie landlord government.

MAIN FEATURES OF THE DECLARATION

The declaration of the convention was placed in two parts – one by the state convenor, Kashmir Singh Thakur which dealt with the political aspects and another by state Kisan Sabha secretary Onkar Shad concerning the organisational aspects.

The state of Himachal Pradesh was carved out not due to economic reasons but keeping in consideration the geographic and political aspirations of the people of the state. This was why the state had acquired a special category status. This help from the centre proved to be a major bulwark in developing the economy of the state. The state comparatively has better indices as far as socio-economic development is concerned. The state has a major services sector, which was developed over the years. But now this development has become unsustainable. With the nationalisation of forests, the major source of income to the state has gone. The other major source of revenue for the state is in from the huge hydel potential the state possesses. But due to international agencies-guided policies this avenue is not being properly harnessed in the interests of the state. Now the centre has even snatched the special category status. After the re-organisation of the states, Himachal Pradesh was to get a share of 7.19 per cent from Pong, Dehar and Bhakra projects, which are in the state.  Besides the state was to get a royalty of 12 per cent in these projects and the total amount as on 1990 was more than Rs 4600 crore. The successive state governments have failed to get this due share to the state. The state is now virtually in a debt trap with a liability of more than Rs 16000 crore. The Congress state government instead of fighting for justice and finding alternative means of mobilisation, has gone in for another spell of structural adjustment loan of more than Rs 8000 crore.

ATTACK ON THE PEOPLE

The neo-liberal policies have severely affected the lives of the people.
A large number of industries in the industrial belt of Parwanoo, Baddi, Poanta and Barotiwala had to shut down. Though some new industries have come up and an investment of Rs 10,000 crore has taken place, very few new employment has been generated. Cheap labour from other states is being recruited for maximum gains. The BJP and Congress are  hand in glove as far as implementation of these neo-liberal policies is concerned. Recently, the MoU signed between the central and the state government regarding fiscal reforms has further exposed the unholy game played by both the BJP and the Congress. The BJP has welcomed the passing of Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Management Bill in the state assembly stating that it would limit the fiscal deficit and is a step in the right direction. The BJP has actually implemented the MoU during its regime without even signing it. It levied user-charges for water and health and it abolished the vacant posts in various departments. In fact, more than 35,000 posts lie vacant in the state and are on the verge of being abolished altogether. Now, the Congress has finally signed the document, which is proving to be a doom for the livelihood of the people of the state. Even the employment being given on compassionate grounds stands highly scrutinised through the office of the chief minister, virtually forcing the claimants to withdraw their claim.

In the earnest direction to serve their mentors in the international financial agencies, the state government has levied a professional tax on a cross section of the people of the state. The range is so arbitrary that a worker in a factory and the owner has to pay tax with a difference of just Rs 100.  After strong protests, the Group D employees with a salary of less than Rs 4,000 per month have been exempted from this tax. The tax charged is in the series of Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 200. Strong protests have been taking place in the state from central government employees, employees from financial institutions and various kinds of trade unions. But the state government employees, in a bid to please the government, supported the tax and did not participate in the protest.

Ironically when the state government is crying hoarse about heavy expenditure and tightening of the fiscal deficit, the cabinet has been so expanded as to accommodate almost all the elected legislators of the ruling party! A whole new team of parliamentary secretaries and chief parliamentary secretaries has been appointed to appease different factions in the Congress. The entire burden, of course, is being borne by the people of the state.

It is in this background that the Lok Morcha has given a call for huge mobilisation on October 27 to protest these policies.

ACTIVATING THE ORGANISATIONS

Onkar Shad the state Kisan secretary placed before the convention the future programmes of the movement. He said that immediately after this state-level convention, district conventions would be organised in all the districts. After that in the month of September, area level and block level conventions would be organised. Mass fund campaign and jathas at the block and district level would follow after that. These jathas shall culminate in mass public meetings at the local level, which shall include villages and blocks. The entire exercise is to reach at least the total membership of all the above mass  organisations and activate them in the process.

Among those who spoke in the convention included Ravinder Kumar (CITU), Santosh Kapoor (JMS), Amar Singha Raghwa (Kisan Sabha), Kushal Bhardwaj (DYFI), Vijender Mehra (SFI) and Jia Nand (PSM). Discussions from districts also took place where the delegates from the districts gave a picture in their districts regarding preparation and planning for the entire exercise.

CITU secretary Tapan Sen, in his address underlined the historic importance of such a movement. He further gave a call to reach at least two lakh people in the coming three months and spread the movement to attain heights so that these neo liberal policies could be checked. But he warned that it is not just the state government which is adopting and implementing such policies; the central government is a key backer of these policies and hence the battle should be fought against both the state and central governments. He further remarked that the September 29 strike call given by the sponsoring committee of trade unions is in the same direction and it would be a historic one as far as mobilisation is concerned.

Later, the convention gave a clarion call to strengthen the Lok Morcha and make all efforts to make the October 27 rally a big success.

Following are the demands of cross section of people of the state:

Demands relating to the state:

• Special category status must be accorded to the state.

• In all the hydel projects of the state the royalty be increased from 12 to 15 per cent plus the state must get an equity share of 30 per cent in all the projects being constructed in the state.

Demands of the workers:

• All those workers who have completed seven years of service on daily wage basis must be regularised.

• The minimum wage of the workers must be increased to Rs 116 per day.
  

Demands of the peasants:

• People who have less than 20 bighas of land, especially belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, widows and others must be provided land and the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 be amended. The land of those peasants who have encroached land and have less than 20 bighas in total, must be regularised at market price.

• The state government may increase expenditure on agriculture and the total land to be brought under irrigation be increased to 30 per cent.

• The menace of loss to the crop because of wild animals must be checked.

• Horticultural produce being sent to other states may not be charged with market fees.

Demands of Women:

• Women must be provided 33% reservation in the legislative assembly.

• In every block women police stations must be opened and at least 10 per cent women recruitment be ensured.

Demands of Youth:

• At least Rs 500 unemployment allowance must be provided to unemployed youth.

• At least 70 per cent employment must be provided to the youth of the state in the hydel projects being constructed.

Demands of Students:

• Regulation of fee structure in private institutions.

• Vacant posts of teachers must be filled immediately.

Demands of pensioners:

• On the Punjab pattern, the pension must be increased to 5,10, and 15 per cent on attaining the age of 65, 75 and 80 years receptively.

Demands of Ex-Servicemen:

• One rank one pension principle must be implemented.

• A separate regiment for Himachal must be created.