December 07, 2014
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Historic Joint Rally of Left Parties in Punjab

FOUR Left parties – CPI, CPI(M), CPM Punjab and CPI(ML) Liberation – held a massive Chetawani Rally in Ludhiana on November 28 and warned the Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab to accept the demand charter containing burning problems and just demands of the people or be ready to face intensive and consistent mass struggles including satyagraha. The historical rally demanded scrapping of the draconian black law – the Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property Bill 2014 -- passed by the Punjab assembly recently. The rally was addressed by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, veteran CPI leader A B Bardhan and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya among others. The rally was presided over by the Presidium consisting of Jagroop Singh, Vijay Misra, Kulwant Singh Sandhu and Bhagwant Samao. The leaders, while addressing the rally, condemned the central government led by Narendra Modi for adopting anti-people neo-liberal policies. The Modi government is trying to dilute the MGNREGA scheme, planning to abolish the meagre subsidies to poor people and debt-ridden peasantry, opening more and more sectors to FDI, amending labour laws for maximisation of profits of multinational corporations and big Indian corporate houses. They expressed serious concern over the efforts of the central government to bring most backward and communal changes in the school syllabus at the behest of RSS. They were critical of the manner in which well-established administrative rules and procedures are being given a go-by to bring them in tune with administrative and political requirements of RSS. The leaders strongly criticised the anti-people policies of the Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab led by Parkash Singh Badal and demanded immediate solution to the burning demands of the people. They demanded that property taxes be abolished, old age/widow pension be enhanced to a minimum Rs 3,000 per month, public distribution system be strengthened, and minimum wage be fixed at Rs 15,000. They accused the Badal government of failing to curb the illegal activities of sand, gravel, transport and cable mafias. They said the state government has badly failed to curb the drug and narcotics mafia and take any action against police officers, bureaucrats and politicians patronising the drug mafia. This rally will surely provide a left and democratic alternative before the people of the state which will be committed to reverse the anti-people neo-liberal policies of the central government and will protect the secular and democratic fabric of Indian society.