People's Democracy

ASSAM

Massive Protest In Assam Against Price Rise & Indo-US Nuclear Deal

Isfaqur Rahman

THE CPI(M) in Assam organised massive demonstrations throughout the state on August 28 in front of the central government offices to register their protest against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, weakening of the public distribution system, government’s failure to overcome agrarian crisis, unrestricted entry of big corporates in retail trades etc.

The August 28 protest action was the culmination of a fortnight long campaign movement which started on August 16, in response to the nation wide call of the CPI(M) central committee to launch movement on the burning issues the people are confronted with. The state specific demands like relief to and rehabilitation of the floods and erosion affected people were also incorporated in the demand charter.

Opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal occupied the centre-stage throughout the campaign. Ensuring independent foreign policy and sovereignty of the country was major concern of the party and it demanded halt to operationalising the “123” agreement till the inimical provisions are cleared. The joint naval exercises with the US were also opposed and taken up during the campaign period.

In the capital city of Guwahati, on August 28, a massive demonstration was organised in front of the ‘Meghdoot Bhawan’, the zonal headquarters. The protest action was organised jointly by two district committees o the party --- the kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup (Rural) district committees. Hundreds of slogan shouting people assembled in front of the Sudgis Fields and marched towards Meghdoot Bhawan to stage the demonstration in protest against the anti-people policies of the central and state governments. A brief meeting was also held before the demonstration. The meeting was addressed, among others, by the CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman, MLA, state secretariat member ananta Deha, MLA, Kamrup (Rural) district secretary Surna Boro and Kamrup (Metro) district secretary Tiken Das.

State secretary Uddhab Barman, in his speech, came down heavily on the UPA government for its anti-people policies. He severely criticised the food policies of the government and said, problem of peasantry and rural poverty has been accentuated by the policies of privatization and economic liberalization. The skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, food item in particular, has hit the poorer sections very hand. The sufferings of the people of backward states like Assam has been intensified, Barman added. He also changed the government with deliberately weakening and dismantling the public distribution system.

Vehemently opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal, the CPI(M) secretary said that the objections and apprehension raised by the Left parties and other parties, organizations, concerned citizens and scientists on the nuclear deal need to examined before proceeding further to operationalise the deal.

After the meeting, the angry protesters marched towards the Deputy Commissioner’s office. When prevented by the police, they staged sit in demonstration on the busy city-street and shouted slogan in support of their demands. Later, a memorandum addressed to the prime minister was presented through the Deputy commissioner, (Kamrup-Metro).

Similar protest actions were organized throughout the state on August 28, as decided by the Party state committee. Almost all the district headquarters witnessed the people demonstrating against the UPA government’s policies.

At places like Tezpur, Nagaon, Mangaldoi etc. in central Assam, hundreds of people participated in processions and protest demonstrations. Demonstrations were also held at Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Lakhnpur, Dhemaji, Sibsagar-Amguri, Jorhat – Holaghat etc. in upper Assam districts. In lower Assam too massive demonstrations were staged and procession were taken out at Dhubri, Kokrajher –Bonguigaon, Goalpora, Barpeta, Nalbari etc. At Nalbari town more than hundred picketers were arrested. At Silchar and Karimganj in south Assam, several hundred people took out procession and staged demonstrations in front of the Railway stations, Post Offices etc.

INDO-US DEAL PART OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

Addressing a seminar at Guwahati on August 29, CPI(M) central committee member Hemen Das appealed to the people to seriously consider all the issues relating to the Indo-US nuclear deal which would affect the country’s future. “It is our contention that the nuclear cooperation agreement should not be seen in isolation from the overall context of India-US strategic relations, its impact on our foreign policy and our strategic autonomy.”

The largely attended seminar was organized by the Kamrup(Metro) district committee of the Party at Lakhram Boruah Sadan and was chaired by party’s state committee member Samir Das.

Hemen Das gave a strong rebuff to an orchestrated and malicious campaign unleashed by some interested quarters and hired pen-pushers of the ruling dispensation to the effect that the communists, more particularly the CPI(M), is against development of the country and “helping China and Pakistan” by opposing the civilian nuclear deal. He demanded that the facts relating to the implications of the Hyde Act, Nuclear power and energy security and implication for India’s independent foreign policy and strategic autonomy must be made clear by these pen-pushers. The senior leader demanded that the UPA government must not rush through with the next steps which are necessary to operationalise the deal without addressing people’s concerns.

Addressing the huge gathering at the seminar, CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman said, the deal would push India into US strategic orbit.

Dwelling upon implications for foreign policy and strategic autonomy, Barman said the US did not see the nuclear cooperation agreement as a stand alone agreement. “It is of American design to try in India a wide ranging strategic alliance which will adversely affect the pursuit of an independent foreign policy and sovereignty of our country”, Barman asserted. On the nuclear power and energy security, the party secretary said that the techno-economics of nuclear power and its relatively high cost did not make it an ideal choice. Nuclear power plants are much more expensive even when using domestic technology and equipment, he added.

Earlier, Kamrup district secretary of the Party Tiken Das explained the objective of the seminar and district secretariat member, Satanjib Das also spoke on the subject.