People's Democracy

Observe Food Security Day on Sept 12

THE five-day dharna organised by the Left parties concluded in New Delhi on August 3 with the participation of thousands from Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. The dharna concluded with the call that September 12, 2012 will be observed as the 'Food Security Day' throughout the country. On that day, demonstrations will be organised in all the states and FCI godowns will be picketed. This was announced on behalf of all the four Left parties by A B Bardhan, veteran leader of the Communist party.

The last day of the dharna was addressed by A B Bardhan, former general secretary of the CPI, Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member, CPI(M), Debabrata Biswas, general secretary, AIFB and Abani Roy, secretary, RSP. Congratulating the thousands of people who have responded to the call of the Left parties and participated in the dharna in Delhi and also demonstrations organised in various parts of the country, they called upon the people to mobilise in even larger numbers for the September 12 programme.

Prakash Karat, general secretary of the CPI(M) and S Sudhakar Reddy, general secretary of CPI attended the dharna. Apart from the central leaders, state leaders of the four Left parties from Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana addressed the dharna. The dharna ended with slogans of  'food security for all', 'do away with APL, BPL categorisation', 'strengthen and universalise the PDS', 'end speculative activities on foodgrains and other essential commodities' and 'take immediate steps to address agrarian distress' reverberating all over.

Earlier on the fourth day of the dharna on August 2, peasants, agricultural workers and common people from Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh participated in thousands. Leaders of the four Left parties criticised the government for its biased policies that are favouring the rich.

The central leadership of the four Left parties exposed the true character of the UPA-2 government, which masquerades under the slogan of aam aadmi. They pointed out the fact that while the government is unwilling to supply food grains to all the deserving people in our country in the name of 'excessive subsidies', it does not mind providing 'incentives' to the rich in our country. These incentives, they pointed out, are in fact nothing but subsidies to the rich, given under the garb of tax concessions. These tax concessions are nearly to the tune of 5,28,000 crores according to the official statistics mentioned in the union budget as revenue foregone. Left leaders brought to the notice of the people that if this amount was used to provide food security, strengthen the PDS, subsidise fertilizers, provide seeds, give MSP for the produce of the peasants and such activities, it would have benefited crores of our peasants and agricultural labourers who are reeling under severe agrarian duress. That the government is not ready to implement such measures itself shows the vacuous nature of their slogan 'aam aadmi'.  Today being Rakshabandhan, many women participants tied Rakhi to the Red Flag stating that this is the best `brother’ today to protect them and their interests.

Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the CPI (M), Atul Kumar Anjaan, national secretary of CPI, Manohar Tirkey, member of parliament of RSP, Jasbir Singh of AIFB addressed the protesters along with the state leaders of the four Left parties. Tapan Sen, general secretary of the CITU, also addressed the gathering. Cultural troops of IPTA, Jan Natya Manch performed plays, while the participants sang progressive songs.