People's Democracy

PUNJAB

Four Parties Come Together to Fight Venality

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India have joined hands with the recently formed People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal) to form a “Sanjha Morcha” in order to save Punjab from the distress that it finds itself in.

The four parties have decided to jointly launch an “Izzat Sambhal Yaatra” on November 6 from Dhudike. This place, Dhudike, has been of immense historical significance as it was the birthplace of Lala Lajpat Rai, a man who epitomised the pride and self-confidence of all Indians and who courted martyrdom in 1928. The proposed yatra would traverse through the whole state over the next two months when its participants would explain to the people the deplorable condition in which the successive Congress and the Akali-BJP state governments have landed Punjab --- economically, socially, morally and culturally. The pride and prestige of the Punjabi people are being compromised. A statement issued by the Morcha described the current scenario as so grim that if the people of the state didn’t take control of the situation, Punjab’s name and the future of the generations to come would be ruined forever by the most venal variety of politics seen anywhere in the world.

The statement further said that Punjab is being torn apart by communalism, corruption, unemployment, disease, inequalities, pollution and depravation.

Former Punjab chief minister Sardar Surjit Singh Barnala has extended support to the initiative.

As a part of this association, the four parties have formed a 20 member Sanjha Morcha Coordination  Committee that shall deliberate on and guide the Morcha’s future course of action. The committee’s membership includes, among others, Jagbir Brar, Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, Kuldeep Singh Dhos and Gurpreet Singh Bhatti from the PPP; Dr Joginder Dyal, Jagrup Singh and Bant Singh Brar from the CPI; Charan Singh Virdi, Lehmber Singh Taggar, Vijay Mishra and Raghunath Singh from the CPI(M); and Gagandeep Singh Barnala, Baldev Singh Mann, Rupinder Singh Sandhu and Inderjit Singh Baghi from the SAD (L). Sardar Surjit Singh Barnala will be the patron of this alliance, Manpreet Badal will be the chairman, while one person each from the four parties --- S S Johl, Nirmal Singh Dhariwal, Charan Singh Virdi, Baldev Singh Mann and Gagandeep Singh Barnala --- shall be the vice chairmen.

The “Izzat Sambhal Yatra” is proposed to be in continuation of the Jago Punjab Movement of the last year. This new political movement was thought to be necessary in view of the depravity that has come to characterise the Punjab politics, and it will seek to apprise the people of the extent of rot that has crept in our system.