People's Democracy

WITH the devastation of floods affecting vast multitudes of people, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has plunged into relief work in many affected areas of the state. Party state secretary N Varadarajan, accompanied by central committee member T K Rangarajan toured the badly-affected Cuddalore district for two days. Party district secretary Dhanasekaran accompanied the leaders. Varadarajan also visited Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Thiruvarur districts while T K Rangarajan visited Trichirapalli and Karur districts. The Party state secretariat members and other state-level leaders also involved themselves in guiding the Party relief effort while expressing solidarity and sympathy to the affected families. The Party contributed two lakh rupees to the flood relief fund announced by the state government.

In Perambur, the CPI(M) district committee intervened and distributed rice, bread and other essential necessities for hundreds of families. The Party activists and leaders were instrumental in getting the aid from the government distributed for the most affected people. In south Chennai too, in Neelankarai, Kallukuttai and Velacheri areas the Party leadership were with the affected people rendering them all assistance.

The CPI(M) state committee demanded from the government to release liberal relief to all affected families. It exhorted its cadre throughout the affected districts to involve themselves fully in the relief operations. An all-party meeting of the opposition parties, led by DMK, was convened on November 21 and without mincing words it requested the centre to release necessary funds for the relief work.

Organised trade unions contributed money for the initial phase of the relief operations. The entire working class is in the process of contributing further to the relief effort while also planning to involve directly in the relief activities to help the suffering community.

Meanwhile, at the time of writing this the Party state secretariat was holding a special meeting in Chennai on December 6, in which the secretaries of 10 flood-affected districts were also invited to discuss the flood situation and chalk out concrete proposals of Party relief effort.