JHARKHAND

Left Parties To Consolidate Bandh Success

  D D Ramanandan

ABOUT the successful May 21 all-India strike and as its part the Jharkhand bandh, called by six Left parties on 15-points demands, an editorial in the largest circulated Hindi daily in Jharkhand, Prabhat Khabar, on May 23 made a significant observation. It said: “The success of the May 21 all-India industrial strike against the central government’s economic and particularly the disinvestment policy was already expected. Nobody doubted about the success of the simultaneous bandh in those states where Left parties or anti-BJP parties and organisations have substantial influence. But in a BJP- or NDA-ruled state like Jharkhand, the success of the bandh is astonishing.”

BRINGING PEOPLE’S ANGER TO THE FORE

Meeting on May 23 and 24, the Jharkhand state committee of the CPI(M) analysed the significance of the success of the strike and bandh and the people’s response to it. A day before, the Left parties also met and discussed the significance of the people’s response and the future programmes.

The state committee of the CPI(M) noted that only Left parties and Left-led mass organisations are raising the burning problems of the people and there is substantial and spontaneous support when these issues are properly campaigned among the masses. This was the observation of the Left parties’ meeting also because the strike and bandh were much wider in scope than the organisational position of the Left parties and mass organisations. In fact, the masses responded only when, even if in small numbers, the CPI(M) and other parties and Left-led mass organisations reached them with the message of the strike and bandh. A churning is going on among the toiling sections groping for an alternative. When an opportunity arose, anger burst out as was reflected on the day of the the strike and bandh. The Jharkhand state committee of the CPI(M) decided to build upon this conclusion and create a situation to bring the undercurrent of the people’s opposition to the present policies to the surface and channelise it in a political direction. The Left parties also came to the same conclusion about the need to unitedly take the message forward and mobilise the masses.

With this understanding, the Jharkhand state committee of the CPI(M) observed a protest day against the police atrocities on CPI(M) functionaries at Dumri Bihar railway station on the day of bandh, during the rail roko movement, by staging demonstration in front of the concerned Gomia police station on May 30. On the same day, in every district, demonstrations and dharnas were staged and vigourous campaigns carried on against police atrocities in which seven CPI(M) members were arrested, sent to jail and severely beaten, and party flags and banners were torn by the commando forces. The party’s Bukaro district secretary and other leaders were falsely implicated.

Against the acute scarcity of drinking water in rural and urban areas of Jharkhand and against the crisis in electricity supply in all districts, the party staged demonstrations at every block and in urban areas in the first week of June. The party also decided to hold district level demonstrations throughout the state in August.

Apart from these independent programmes of the CPI(M), the Left parties have decided to stage a massive joint demonstration in front of Jharkhand assembly at Ranchi during its monsoon session in August and also to hold joint rallies at Dumka, Dhanbad, Ramgarh, Jamshedpur and Daltanganj in September.

To demand a CBI enquiry into the corruption charges against the ministers in the Arjun Munda government, brought publicly by the former chief minister Babulal Marandi who claimed to have evidence including video tapes, for holding immediate panchayat elections in the state and an enquiry into the communal riot engineered by the Sangh Parivar at Panki in Palamau district, the six Left parties met the state governor on June 3. These parties also came to a common understanding to formulate a common agenda for future and a united movement by the Left in Jharkhand.

THUMPING SUCCESS OF THE STRIKE

The May 21 bandh in Jharkhand by the Left was in continuation of earlier joint convention, joint campaigns and joint jeep jathas.

The state committee of the CPI(M) congratulated the party units and members, workers and employees and the people of Jharkhand for the success of the bandh and strike. On May 21, the Kisan Sabha, Janwadi Mahila Samiti, DYFI and SFI, apart from the trade unions, mobilised the masses in large numbers for rail roko and rasto roko actions during the bandh. The mass organisations held their separate programmes with their flags and banners, in solidarity with the striking workers and employees. The Janwadi Mahila Samiti brought out separate handbills, staged a dharna at Jamtara, and came out into the streets in large numbers with their banners particularly at Jamtara in Dhanbad, Adityapur in Singhbhum district and Namkum in Ranchi district. The Jharkhand State Kisan Sabha brought out separate handbills, organised kisan cadres’ meetings, a large number of village meetings and mobilised the peasants in large numbers in rail roko agitations during the bandh. The DYFI and SFI brought out torchlight processions and came out into the street on the day of bandh.

An unprecedented strike took place in Central Coalfields Limited, Bharat Cooking Coal Limited and Mugma area of Eastern Coalfields Limited, and in CMPDIL. It was recorded as the most successful strike in Jharkhand. The bandh in the coalfields in Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Giridih and Ranchi districts was unprecedented. Like in other parts of the country, the strike in banks and insurance sector and by medical and sales representatives was total in Jharkhand. The iron and coal mines in Kiribru and Megahatu Buru and their transportation, bauxite mines in Lohardaga district and its transportation, the stone quarries in Pakur (Sahebganj) involving about 40 thousand workers and its transportation, coal transportation to NTPC in Farakka and Kahalgaon remained completely paralysed due to strike by railwaymen. Beedi industry remained closed in Pukur (Sahebganj) and the beedi workers came out into the street in support of the bandh. The strike in Adityapur industrial area in Jamshedpur was total. A thousand strong workers paraded in the streets here in support of the bandh and were joined by large numbers of Mahila Samiti members.

State government employees also went on a successful strike. Hospital nurses came out to strike. Among the central government employees, the strike was most successful on part of the postal employees, income tax employees, DOMS employees, central ground water board employees, GSI employees and in other central government offices. Despite the threat of closure and the opposition by the INTUC, the strike was significant in HPC in Ranchi and partial in Bokaro street plant. It was complete in Tenughat Thermal Power Project; hundreds of tribal villagers surrounded the project and the roads in support of the strike. The rail service remained paralysed due to rail roko actions. Dharnas were staged on railway tracks at Mugma, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Kodema, Muri, Dumri Bihar and Guman railway stations. State road transport workers went on strike and the road movement was paralysed due to rasta roko at Namkum, Silli, Rangarh, Hazaribagh, Nirsa, Jharia, Bagodar, Pakur, Koderma, Sisai in Gumla district and at other places. Despite opposition by some INTUC leaders, INTUC and BMS workers joined the strike almost everywhere. Thousand of Left party members and supporters were arrested in different parts of the state including 1200 of the CPI(M). Members and supporters of the CPI and other Left parties too were arrested in at Ranchi. Muri, Koderma, Jamtara, Nirsa Bihar, Dumka, Giridih and Gumla.

The May 21 all-India strike and bandh in Jharkhand have created conditions for rapid advancement of the Left forces and the movements of the toiling and deprived sections which include tribals, Dalits and other socially and economically oppressed sections. This devolves a  heavy responsibility on the CPI(M) in Jharkhand, concluded the state committee of the party.