People's Democracy

MAHARASHTRA FLOODS

Ashok Dhawale

The occurrence of statewide floods on such a huge scale (see the report in the previous issue of People’s Democracy) and the organisation of relief was a new experience for the CPI(M) and the mass organisations in Maharashtra. Nevertheless, the Party and mass organisations in severely flood-affected districts like Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Nanded, Parbhani, Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Yavatmal, Amravati, Chandrapur and other districts immediately plunged into relief work.

The relief work carried out by activists of the CPI(M), CITU, AIKS, AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI and SFI everywhere basically fell into three categories: (1) Providing immediate help, food and medical aid to the flood-affected; (2) Bringing pressure on the administration through struggle to ensure that the cash and grain relief announced by the government actually reached the needy; (3) Launching a drive to collect funds and other material for flood relief and distribution of the same.

Within a week of the floods, the CPI(M) central committee sent an amount of Rs 4 lakhs, and the CPI(M) West Bengal state committee sent an amount of Rs 5 lakhs to the Party in Maharashtra as help in its flood relief efforts, a gesture which was greatly appreciated.

On August 10, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury toured the flood-affected areas in Mumbai for over six hours, addressed a jam-packed press conference and a Party delegation met the chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and submitted a detailed memorandum on behalf of the state committee. (This visit has been covered in the last issue of People’s Democracy)

Systematic and spontaneous relief work by the Party began in the worst-affected western suburbs of Mumbai from July 27 itself, and it is continuing even today. In suburbs like Goregaon, Marol, Sakinaka, Andheri and elsewhere, activists of the Party, CITU and DYFI actively intervened in a sustained manner to carry out all the above three tasks. Demonstrations of upto 1000 people were organised demanding immediate flood relief from the government. As a result of this pressure, the administration was forced to begin the distribution of cash and grain relief to thousands of families in these areas.

In the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, the Party and mass organisations conducted similar relief work in areas like Bhandup and Kurla. The CITU-affiliated Mumbai Shramik Sangh has begun helping its flood-affected workers financially to tide over their big losses.

College teachers in Mumbai who are members of the BUCTU and the MVJCTU conducted fund drives from the people in the less-affected areas of central Mumbai like Worli, Dadar and Bandra and they collected over Rs 18,000 in just three days. Apart from this, teacher Party comrades in the city immediately donated Rs 10,000 for flood relief. The Party also led a separate fund collection drive in central Mumbai.

In Thane district, the loss to agriculture has been profound and the Party here has begun a struggle to demand the declaration of the district as hit by wet drought. Large demonstrations of thousands have been organised in several tehsil centres to press this demand. The Party took the lead in Talasari in organising a large joint procession for flood relief funds, and the amount of Rs 1 lakh 11 thousand collected in a single day was handed over to the chief minister’s relief fund.

In the urban areas of Thane district, the SFI carried out commendable relief work in some villages of Kalyan tehsil. It helped to take several flood-affected villagers to safety, collected and distributed grain for them and organised a medical camp.

In Raigad district, the DYFI took the lead in collecting over 600 Kg of grain and dal, as well as candles and matchboxes and these were distributed in the flood-affected villages of Roha tehsil.

In Nanded district, over 16,000 people living precariously on the banks of the Godavari river were displaced since the river was in spate. The administration declared with arrogance and insensitivity that since these were ‘illegal encroachers’, they would not be entitled to any government relief. The CPI(M) here was the only Party to immediately hold a large demonstration denouncing this move, and it was as a result of this that the government was forced to distribute Rs 3 crore to these flood-affected people.

In Parbhani district, the Party and AIDWA activists, helped by the MSMRA, organised medical camps in Mangangaon and Surpimpri villages, where medicines worth nearly Rs 1 lakh were distributed. In Parbhani, Selu and Manwat tehsils, the Party, AIKS and AIAWU activists exerted pressure on the administration to ensure that relief reached the needy. For this a large demonstration was organised at Manwat. In Selu, over 150 families were given BPL ration cards as a result of struggle.

In Kolhapur district, the Party and mass organisations lent their efforts to provide relief to thousands of families in Kolhapur and Ichalkaranji towns, and to the rural poor in Shirol, Hatkanangale, Kagal and Gadahinglaj tehsils. A truck of grain was procured from ration shop-owners free of cost and the grain was distributed to the flood-affected. Similarly, clothes were distributed and medical camps were organised.

In Sangli district, two demonstrations of the flood-affected were organised demanding immediate relief.

In Solapur district, the Party leadership toured the flood-affected rural areas and in the unaffected Solapur city, gave a fund call for collecting Rs 1 lakh for flood relief. This campaign is continuing. The CPI(M) MLA here donated his one month’s salary to the chief minister’s flood relief fund.

In Yavatmal district, the floods were compounded by the forest department’s drive to evict adivasis from the lands that they had been cultivating for decades. Here the Party and AIKS, while conducting relief work, also led struggles of the evicted peasants for their right to cultivate their land.

The Nashik district CITU has decided to contribute Rs 1 lakh for flood relief, and of this amount, Rs 50,000 has been given to the chief minister’s flood relief fund. The remaining will be distributed directly to the flood-affected people.in that district.

The CPI(M) Maharashtra state committee has given a statewide call for a Flood Relief Fund. The Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha and the CPI(M) Transport district committee have contributed Rs 10,000 each to this fund, and more contributions will follow.