People's Democracy

TRIPURA

CPI(M) Demands UPA Govt To Control Soaring Price Rise

Haripada Das

TRIPURA state Committee meeting of CPI(M) was held on September 16, 2007. The meeting called for a bigger campaign movement over the issue of hike in prices of essential commodities. It also alerted the party workers, supporters and the people of the state against the subversive initiative of anti-Left Front political parties who are even trying to enter into an unholy alliance with the anti-national extremist outfits. State committee called upon the people to launch united mass resistance against such conspiracies.

State committee observed with great concern that, apart from price rise, taking advantage of disruption in inflow of goods in the state due to rail and road blockades in Assam, a section of dishonest traders and hoarders have raised the prices of most the essential commodities including food grains. While the rail link is cut off due to collapse of a bridge in Assam leaving the state isolated from the rest of the country for past several months, road transport also got disrupted recently due to frequent floods and landslides. As Tripura depends on supply from outside for most of the essential goods, the state committee strongly demanded urgent restoration of rail and road links. On this demand, a weeklong movement programme will be observed from September 20-26, 2007. The state committee also demanded no cut in quantum of BPL and APL rice quota, sanction of an alternative national highway, payment of a part of the REGA wage in kinds with rice component and asked the Left Front government to take stern measures against the dishonest hoarders according to the Essential Commodities Act.

The state committee strongly opposed the curtailment of REGA allocation in Dhalai district and demanded that central government to urgently release full allocation as was given earlier.

Congratulating the people of the state for their moral support and active participation in the recently held campaign movement against Indo-US nuclear deal, against joint naval exercises, in the struggle for eight-point charter of demands including the demands for issuance of BPL cards to all deserving families and the battle for nine-point demands relating to state’s over all progress and development, the state committee expressed its resolve to carry on the principled resistance to the UPA government’s drive to make India a subservient and a junior partner of the US imperialism.

Reviewing the state situation, the state committee observed that as the anti-Left Front parties are facing a strong alienation, they are getting more desperate to let loose vilifying campaign to mislead the people against Left Front. The efforts of the opposition in the Legislative Assembly in this regard have boomeranged. They opposed the Left Front’s demand for providing BPL cards to all poor families and exhibited their anti-people attitude.

Sensing the imminent popular mandate in the upcoming Assembly elections, these discredited parties are reported to have had discussions with the gangsters of outlawed extremist outfits in the remote tribal hamlets inside the state and even in the neighbouring states. The extremists are opposing the people to work in REGA scheme, claiming REGA funds were as good as doles, not as wages. Congress, INPT, Naxalites allied with some contractors fed by foreign funds, are carrying on a misleading campaign in the name of recovery of ‘reserved areas’ earmarked by king’s regime under the banner of so called ‘Bhumi Uddhar Committee.

The state committee urged upon the people to extend active cooperation to the security forces engaged in combating the extremists. It observed that during the period since the last state committee meeting six persons, including a Party member, one TSR jawan and a CRPF jawan were killed by the banned extremists and on the other side, seven extremists were killed in an encounter with the security forces. Ten extremists and sixteen of their collaborators were arrested by the police. 38 extremists of both groups and seven of their open front collaborators surrendered to the police. A good number of arms were seized by the police and laid down by the surrendered.

Party branch conferences have begun in the state. The state committee urged upon the Party members to evolve measures to take the Party closer to the people, develop political consciousness, strengthen the Party organisation up to the grass root levels and involve the masses in the on going development works under Left Front government. It instructed the Party workers to complete all political-organisational preparatory works for the next election and in this respect, there is no room to be complacent, state committee said.

The state committee expressed great concern at the huge loss of crops, vegetables, Jhum crops and damage of roads and bridges in the three consecutive floods in the recent months. State committee urged upon the government to extend all possible help to the affected farmers to recover their loss. It also called upon the peace-loving people of the state to maintain the state’s tradition of peace, amity and fraternity in the ensuing Id and Sharad festival.

At the outset, state committee paid deep homage to Comrade Pakhi Tripura, Party member, Ex MLA and Ex ADC member and renowned cultural activist and vocal singer Nepal Kar, both of whom passed away during this period.