Nationwide Picketing Against Price Rise

BENGAL

IN the midst of Panchayat general elections in rural Bengal, anti-price-rise demonstration involving picketing programmes was held in all the districts of Bengal in front of central government offices, as part of the nationwide call of the CPI (M). The issue was also a part of the rural poll campaign.

The programme was held in a massive manner in 12 districts where the rural polls had been over. The state and district level CPI (M) leadership were among those who addressed the programmes held in all 19 districts of Bengal. Braving the scorching sun, lakhs of people participated in innumerable sit-in demonstrations and marches. They held aloft placards, banners, and red flags. Posters depicting the demand to put a curb on the rising prices were prominently displayed in a colourful manner.

In many places, mass rallies preceded marches. In other places, it was the other way around with processions being followed by rallies, mass demonstrations, and sit-in programmes. Even the districts where the final phase of the rural polls was not over, the anti-price rise programme was held with fervour and with big participation by the people. A large central demonstration was held in front of the Income Tax office in downtown Kolkata where the principal speaker was the state secretary of the CPI (M), Biman Basu. He explained the principal points based on which the CPI (M) had called for the programme.

The rural gunjes as well as the industrial belt witnessed the programme. The cities and townships saw people come out in hundreds of thousands to take part in a programme that touched a sensitive chord in their hearts-and-minds, as the issue involved adversely affected the daily life of the people at large. The programme was also held in north Bengal with enthusiasm except for the hill areas of the Darjeeling district where problems exist over the activities of separatist groups.

Maharashtra

ON May 15, braving the scorching heat, several mass actions by the CPI(M) against price rise and for strengthening the PDS took place all over Maharashtra. The largest action took place in Solapur city, where over 4000 workers, most of them women, led a huge march and over 2500 of them courted arrest. Over 1500 people stormed the tehsil office at Kalamnuri in Hingoli district and over 200 conducted a hunger strike there for two days until their local demands related to the PDS were conceded. Nearly 1000 people in Ichalkaranji, district Kolhapur marched to the civil supplies office, broke the police cordon and courted arrest.

More than 500 people broke the police cordon and stormed into the tehsil office at Akole in Ahmednagar district. Over 200 people held a demonstration outside Churchgate railway station in Mumbai, broke ban orders and were arrested. Hundreds of people in five tehsils of Thane district gheraoed the tehsildars and got written assurances about their local demands as regards the lacunae in the PDS.

Demonstrations of several hundreds were held in Nashik, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Wardha, Buldana, Amravati, Satara, Karad, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Nanded, Beed, Gondia, Bhandara and other districts to condemn the price rise. All the above actions castigated the policies of the UPA central government as well as the INC-NCP-led state government.

The most consistent joint agitation on this issue took place in Pune city from May 2 to 15. On May 2, the first day of the stir, Dr Baba Aadhaav, Ajit Abhyankar and 86 other workers were arrested and were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days in the Yerawada central prison. On May 5, more than 1000 women led by the CPI(M), AIDWA and CITU marched to the grain godown and over 800 of them were arrested. On May 15, a big joint demonstration of over 1500 was held.

The CPI(M) state secretariat which met on May 16, reviewed these actions and decided to launch a massive statewide signature campaign on specific demands related to price rise and the PDS and to organise hunger strikes all over the state from June 2, in which the Party and mass organisation leadership will participate.

The Party state and district leadership participated in strength in all the May 15 actions throughout Maharashtra.

GUJARAT

SIX district centres of Gujarat witnessed a spate of programmes against the central and state governments on the issue of steep rise of prices of edible oil as well as commodities of daily use.

From April 16 to 23, the national protest week was observed with programmes where satyagrahis courted arrests. The week began with dharnas on April 16 everywhere and ended with satyagraha on April 23. The days in between saw street corner meetings, mohalla chowk meetings where more than 25,000 hand bills were distributed. Women participated in large numbers accounting to more than 60 per cent of the total participation.

BHAVNAGAR: Thousands of people reached the central place Ghogha Gate near Bhagatsinh�s statue. Police force gheraoed the area, but could not prevent the people marching forward to bazars, and when the people reached Big Vora market, all the roads got blocked and there was traffic jam on all sides. Police entered and rushed in with three vans. 551 satyagrahis courted arrest. Central Committee member and state secretary of the Party, Arun Mehta as well as district secretary and state secretariat member Nalinibahen Jadeja together with all district committee members were in the lead. Dharana before collectorate was held on April 16 and from April 19-22 area public meetings were held.

AHEMDABAD: On April 23, 2008 at electricity house (Relief Road) chakka jam took place and 43 satyagrahis courted arrest. CPI(M) Ahmedabad district secretary and state executive members Devtadin Yadav and Satish Parmer, CPI state secretary A N Sheikh and CPI Ahmedabad secretary Ramesh Parmer were arrested.

RAJKOT:

Trikon Baag Circle was the place where, led by district secretary & state secretariat member Ramchandran, 48 satyagrahis courted arrest. Road traffic was blocked for one hour.

UPLETA:

Upleta in Rajkot district saw 60 satyagrahis court arrest. Led by Upleta municipal councillor Dayabhai Gajera, the national high way was blocked for two hours.

SABARKANTHA:

At civil hospital circle rasta roko took place under the leadership of state secretariat member of the Party and Kisan Sabha leader Pragjibhai Bhambhi and Gujarat state secretary of Kisan Sabha Kuberbhai Bhambhi. 55 people courted arrest.

JUNAGADH:

Because of prolonged chakka jam in Azad Chowk of Junagadh, police arrested 113 led by Batuk Makvana, state secretariat member and president of Gujarat Khet Mazdoor union.

VADODARA:

At Padra in Vadodara district, highway road was blocked and forty people got arrested led by state secretariat member of the Party and Vadodara district secretary and general secretary of CITU Nalginbhai Patel.

Chakka jam programmes also took place at Dahod, Panchmahal , Surat and Surendranagar. The anti-price movement will continue further. These programmes were preceded by a joint CPI(M) -CPI meeting at CPI(M)�s state head quarters at Prathna Samaj on April 10 in Ahmedabad. A resignation of Supplies minister has been demanded jointly by CPI(M) -CPI committees.

JHARKHAND

IN pursuance of all India anti-price rise campaign and courting arrest programme of the Party on May 15, 3788 Party members and supporters at 24 places in 14 districts, out of total 20 district/district organising committees areas, courted arrest in Jharkhand.

On May 15, Maoist�s Jharkhand bandh and threats dislocated rail and road services which affected our participation in most of the districts. Due to the same reason programmes could not be implemented in Hazaribagh district, at some places of Bokaro district and in Dakra area.

Due to organisational reasons, programme was not implemented in East Singbhum, Chatra, Palamau and Giridih districts. Programme will be implemented at all remaining districts/places within the month of May. Party state centre circulated campaign notes.

District-wise implementation of programme

MANIPUR

As per the call given by the Central Committee of the Party, the Manipur state organising committee organised an agitation program on March 15, 2008. Party members with play cards and red flags picketed at the gate of the Food Corporation of India office at Sangaiporou, Imphal west district.

Sarat Salam, secretary of the state organising committee addressed the picketers. He dwelt on length on the global scenario of the food crisis. He explained that it is because of the �futures trading� policy adopted by the country that the prices of food items are increasing.

Ksh Shanta, secretariat member of the Party also addressed the picketers. He spoke of how the present UPA government headed by the Congress has been taking a pro-imperialist stand regarding the food policies. He condemned the central government for cutting down the shares of the states in the PDS. He also maintained that it is high time to strengthen the local self governance. The strengthening of the local self governance will check the inefficiencies and the lapses in the over-all functioning of the PDS. He also reported that the state government and its concerned department are having nexus with all kinds of black marketers.

Th Nilkamal, secretary of the Kishan Sabha also spoke on the occasion. He shared his confidence that the Party will strive and move forward with such kind of agitation which addresses the needs of the common man and the poor in particular. He explained that the present crisis is a fall-out of the neo-liberal economic policies championed by the imperialist countries.

There was a mild scuffle with the security forces of the picketed office. Normal traffic was disrupted for around an hour. The agitation came to an end amidst slogans by the picketers.