THE Punjab units of the
four Left parties – CPI(M), CPI, Forward Block and RSP – will hold joint
conventions in all districts in the month of July and August 2006, as part of a
phased programme of struggle on the charter of people’s demands.
This
was decided at a joint state level convention organized by these parties at Desh
Bhagat Memorial in Jallandar on July 3, 2006. A presidium comprising leaders of
the parties – Rachhpal Singh, Kulwant Singh, Pritam Singh and Avtar Singh
Janjuan – conducted the proceedings. More than one thousand representatives of
these parties from all over Punjab attended the convention.
Among the demands in
the charter included curbing price rise; ensuring supply of 14 essential
commodities through public distribution system at cheaper rates; writing off
debt of agricultural workers and common peasants; minimum wage of Rs 5000 per
month for unskilled industrial workers; 33 per cent reservation for women in
assemblies and parliament; immediate transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab and
accelerated industrialisation with emphasis on agro based industries; immediate
stop to privatisation of public sector units like electricity board and also to
privatisation of education and health services; protection of small scale
industries etc.
Through
an unanimously adopted resolution and speeches of the leaders strong
condemnation was made of the Amrinder Singh government which was pursuing
anti-people policies and not fulfilled its election promises in the last four
years. The convention also condemned the policy of chief minister Amrinder Singh
of taking up various religious issues which was harming the secular fabric of
the state and its governance.
The
convention cautioned the people to beware of the nefarious and narrow partisan
designs of the Akali-BJP communal combine which was bent upon channelising the
discontentment of the people along communal and divisive lines. They reminded
that these forces were active votaries of neo-liberal economic policies and have
no alternative pro-people economic policies.
The
convention chalked out a phased programme of struggle so as to build mass
pressure to force the Amrinder Singh government for conceding various demands of
the people – industrial workers, agricultural workers, peasants, women, youth,
student and small business community.
(INN)