People's Democracy

Power Reforms Crisis In Haryana

THE state secretariat of the CPI(M) in Haryana has squarely blamed the short sighted and authoritarian attitude of Haryana government for resorting to police firing on agitating farmers in Jind district at least twice within a span of  six months in which one farmer lost his life and several of them got seriously injured. It is this negative and stubborn style of the government which has led to explosive situation in several villages of Jind and Kiloi group of villages of Rohtak district.

While strongly condemning the incident of police firing on the participants in  farmers rally yesterday, the party has expressed deep anguish over the present volatile situation arising out of payment of electricity bills. Meanwhile a joint team of the CPI(M) and Kisan Sabha leaders comprising Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria, Prakahs Chander, Phool Singh Sheokand and Ved Pal Malik has rushed to the affected areas in Jind district to have a first hand detailed information of the situation. Besides, the CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh and a member of the state secretariat Virendra Malik have met the seriously injured persons in the local PGI Medical College.

CPI(M) firmly believes that the recent unpleasant happenings could have been avoided had the state government implemented the compromise between the agitating farmers and government representatives arrived at Jind following the last December incidents. The party has reiterated, in this context, that the dispute regarding outstanding electricity bills is mainly the fallout of illogical but populist electoral promises pertaining to providing free water and electricity made prior to last assembly election. Apart from this, the CPI(M) feels that it is in fact the accumulated resentment among the peasantry resulting from the disastrous agricultural policy of pro-capitalist economic reforms imposed by Vajpayee government and followed blindly by Chautala government which is expressing itself in the form of power bill payment problem.

The CPI(M) finds fault with  the autocratic style of governance in Haryana where in the government often resorts to prohibitory orders to prevent people from using their right of assembly and discussing among themselves their vital problems. It is to be recalled that the same tactics were used against the agitating people in Khanak Mining area of Bhiwani district during February last.

The CPI(M) demands that the state government should not make it a prestige issue and should immediately release the arrested farmers to facilitate initiation of dialogue in order to resolve the contentions issues and restore normally at the earliest.