People's Democracy

JHARKHAND

CPI(M) Stages Statewide Demonstrations

THE Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged impressive demonstrations in all the district headquarters in Jharkhand on September 9 to highlight various burning problems facing the state. These demonstrations were staged at the call of the state committee to protest against failure of the state government to provide drought relief and prevent hunger deaths; increasing debt burden on the peasantry; corruption in rural development schemes; against privatisation of state electricity board; against raising of power tariffs; against non-availability of electricity;

The protestors were also demanding repeal of anti-people Electricity Act 2003; provision of drinking water in rural and urban areas; for holding of immediate elections to panchayat bodies and municipalities to restore democratic rights of the people and for ensuring proper development. They were protesting against the growing attacks on adivasi land rights and identity; against communal division and divisive polices of the Arjun Munda government on religion, caste, region and language; against attempts to divide secular votes and toiling sections; against the politician-bureaucrat-contractor-mafia nexus of corruption.

They highlighted how Jharkhand slid down the ranks in terms of development, per capita income and state investment in social welfare measures.

Rallies were brought out, demonstrations were held in front of Deputy Commissioner’s offices, memoranda were submitted and public meetings were held at Ranchi, Dhanbad, Jamtara, Pakur, Godda, Dumka, Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Garwah, Chatra, Lohardaga, and Giridih. In view of Hazaribagh bandh, the programme will be held here on September 11.  At Koderma a dharna was staged in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office.

At Ranchi, the rally began from AG More and parading on the street via Hinoo it converted into a public meeting at Birsa Chowk. The meeting was addressed amongst others by the Party’s state secretary  J S Majumdar and district secretary and state secretariat member Sudhir Das.

At Dhanbad a nearly 3,000 strong rally was taken out from the railway station. On the way, a demonstration was staged in front of DRM office and  DC office. Later a public meeting was held at Randhir Verma Chowk which was addressed by state secretariat member and district secretary G K Bakshi, state secretariat member S K Bakshi and others. At Jamshedpur, a rally was taken out which turned into a demonstration and later a public meeting in front of the DC office. This meeting was addressed by district secretary Gurubux Singh, state committee members T N Singh and CITU leader Narendra Mishra. (INN)