A JOINT convention was organised by four Left parties – CPI, CPI(M), CPM Punjab and  CPI(ML) Liberation on July 6 at Grain Market grounds in Barnala against the anti-people policies of the  central and state governments and for settlement of the genuine and just demands of the working people.  More than 2000 people from the Malwa region of Punjab participated in the convention.

Charan Singh Virdi, Hardev Arshi, Mangat Ram Pasla, Sukhdarshan Natt, Vijay Misra and Jagroop Singh while addressing the convention held the neoliberal policies pursued by the central and state governments responsible for the increasing price rise, unemployment, rampant corruption, indebtedness of the peasants and agricultural workers.  They condemned the Akali Dal-BJP government led by Parkash Singh Badal for the drug menace, deteriorating law and order situation, increasing atrocities on dalits and women. They further said that the drug trade is being run with the connivance of the politicians and the police. They alleged that the sand, cable and transport mafia is run under the patronage of the ruling dispensation with support from the police.

The convention demanded free education and health facilities, 10 marla plots to rural homeless poor, houses for the urban poor, and round the year work to MNREGA workers.  The convention decided on an action programme to hold day and night dharnas all over Punjab in front of deputy commissioner’s offices from August 7-9, 2016.  

Four Left Parties to Hold

Day & Night Dharna from August 7-9

AT the call of four Left parties – CPI, CPI(M), CPM Punjab and CPI(ML) Liberation, a joint convention was held at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar on July 4, 2016. Nearly 2000 activists and sympathisers of these parties  from Majha and Doaba regions of Punjab participated in the convention.  A presidium consisting of Kartar Singh Buani, Ranbir Singh Virk, Kulwant Singh Sandhu and Gulzar Singh Bhambli presided over the convention.

The speakers lambasted the pro-corporate policies of the central and state governments. They held these policies responsible for the ever increasing inflation, wide spread unemployment and rampant corruption in the administration. They alleged that drug menace and obnoxious deterioration in the law and order situation is a direct outcome of collaboration of drug mafia, politicians and police. The convention urged upon the people to throw out all the political formations which support the neoliberal policies. They held these policies responsible for all the problems faced by the working people. Through another resolution, the convention decided to intensify the struggle for pressing demands – against  price-rise, unemployment, suicides by debt ridden peasants and pauperised agricultural workers, for free health, education to all, 10 marla plots to homeless in rural areas and houses in urban areas and an end to mafia raj.

The convention resolved to organise a programme of struggle in phases and as part of the first phase, it will organise a day and night dharna in front of deputy commissioner offices all over the state from August 7-9, 2016. The struggle will be further intensified and the next phase of  action will be announced on the completion of the first phase.

Those who addressed  the convention included Bant Brar, Charan Singh Virdi, Mangat Ram Pasla, Gurmit Singh Bakhtpur, Bhupinder Samber, Harkanwal, Vijay Misra, and Raghunath Singh.