People's Democracy

Amra Ram Files  Nomination In Sikar

Aroop Sen from Sikar

AMIDST loud slogans of "Lal Lal  Laherayega, Amra Delhi Jayega" thousands of kisans, women, youth and students raised their hand approving the candidature of  CPI(M) central committee member and four-time MLA Amra Ram  at a rally held on the occasion of filing of nomination in Sikar on  April 17, 2009.

After that Amra Ram accompanied by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) Rajasthan state secretary Vasudev, CPI(M) MLA from Dhod, Pema Ram and scores of workers filed his nomination paper in the district collectorate.

Addressing the massive meeting held in front of the district committee office in the scorching summer afternoon Yechury attacked
both the Congress and the BJP for failing to solve the basic demands of the people even after  60 years of independence. In Rajasthan they have not been able to provide the basic human needs of drinking and  irrigation water for  the people. Furthermore the neo-liberal policy pursued by them and the general withdrawal of the State from the social sector is crushing the lives of the peasants and workers.

He said whatever pro-people measures were taken by the UPA government like NREGA, Forest Rights Act etc were mainly due to the sustained pressure mounted by the Left parties. Referring to the global meltdown, Yechury said that it was only because of the Left intervention that the government could not go ahead with their unbridled privatisation spree of the  banks, LIC and  privatising pension funds.

Yechury attacked the BJP for returning to its rabid communal agenda  of Ram Mandir, abolition of Article 370, common civil code,  and Ram Setu etc. He said they are out to divide the people of the country.

In such a scenario, a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative is emerging in the country. He said it is becoming viable because the people are wanting such an alternative. Yechury said that as  the third force is emerging as a secular alternative, people like Amra Ram are needed in Delhi to raise the voice of the common people and strengthen the Left�s representation.
For this he sought support of the people of Sikar.

Vasudev in his speech said that in the last decade, the CPI(M) had launched many a struggle in this region on the   question of electricity and
water. At least  eight of its workers, including a woman, had  lost their
lives in the police firing by Rani's (Vasundhara Raje�s) government. Whether it was the struggle of peasants and youth or whether it was the struggle against the  price rise or any thing, Amra Ram and CPI(M) had been in the forefront supporting their issues and forcefully raising them in
Rajasthan state assembly for  fifteen years.

In the last election, CPI(M) gave a call to defeat BJP and Congress and to increase the number of Left representation from 'ek to anek'. People had supported us and increased our strength from the usual single MLA to three MLAs. With the six members of the BSP who got elected joining Congress en bloc, the CPI(M) has become the third largest party in the assembly. He appealed to the people of Sikar saying that the time has come for them to support to send Amra Ram to Delhi to raise the voice of  the poor and downtrodden and kisans, not only of Sikar but of Rajasthan because no one raises those issue in the Lok Sabha from Rajasthan.

Hetram Beniwal, the veteran Party leader who was in the forefront of the struggles also spoke along with Amra Ram, Pema Ram,  Shisir Bajoria, convenor of Rajasthan Bangal Maitri Parishad and local leaders of  CPI and JD(S) addressed  the meeting.

The meeting lasted for more than three and half  hours and the notable aspect was  that not a single person moved out of the meeting and they all listened to the speakers with rapt attention. Large sums of money was donated by various committees and  mass organisations. There were offers from many villagers to give their vehicle for  election purposes.  True to the local  tradition, Amra Ram was weighed by coins, which were then donated to the Party as election fund.