FOUR Left parties of Punjab -- CPI(M), CPI, CPM Punjab and CPI-ML (Liberation) -- organised a state-level convention at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall in Jalandhar on November 6. More than 3,000 workers, peasants and other sections of the working people participated in the convention, presided over by Bhupinder Samber, Gurchetan Singh Basi, Harkanwal Singh and Gurnam Singh Bhikhi. The convention decided and declared that a sustained and phased mass struggle will be launched for settlement of the 15-points charter of demands. It was announced that in the first phase of action, jathas will be taken out in all the districts from December 1 to 7 to organise and awaken the people at village-level and motivate them for participation in the decisive battle for realising the burning demands of the working people. The convention was addressed by CPI(M) state secretary Charan Singh Virdi and Vijay Misra, Raghunath Singh; Hardev Arshi, Joginder Dayal, Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal of CPI; Mangat Ram Pasla, Kulwant Singh Sandhu and Gurnam Singh Daud of CPM Punjab; and Gurmit Singh Bakhtpur and Rajwinder Singh Rana of CPI-ML (Liberation). CPI(M) state secretary Virdi alleged that the Parkash Singh Badal-led Akali-BJP government in Punjab and the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, instead of taking serious steps for solving the burning problems like unemployment, price rise and corruption, are indulging in religious and communal issues to divert the attention of the people. He condemned the failure of the Badal government in controlling repeated incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib, which may give a handle to the fundamentalist forces to spoil the socio-religious fabric of the state. He appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony and defeat the designs of the government and extremist elements. The speakers condemned the criminal negligence of the state and central governments towards burning problems of the people. They said that the sustained struggle launched by the four Left parties will continue till the people’s issues are satisfactorily settled. They demanded immediate procurement of crops by government agencies to save the peasantry from harassment, Rs 4,500 as procurement price for Basmati 1,509 rice and Rs 5,000 for Basmati 1121 variety. They demanded Rs 40,000 per acre as compensation to the peasants whose cotton crops have been damaged by white fly. They demanded Rs 15,000 as minimum wage for industrial workers, 200 days' work for MGNREGA workers, 10 marlas plots to house-less people, strengthening of the public distribution system and filling up of vacant posts in various government departments. The speakers also condemned the Akali- BJP government, led by Parkash Singh Badal, for its failure to break the nexus among drug mafia, police and politicians. The Presidium declared that to realise the 15-point charter of demands a sustained and phased programme of action will be launched, which will begin with jathas in all the districts to awaken and mobilise the people . They said that 500 political conferences will be held all over the state during the month of January, 2016 and massive protest demonstrations will be organised at district level during the month of February, 2016. An impressive Peace March (Aman March ) was taken out through the main bazaars of the city after the convention, in which more than 3,000 people participated and it was led by the state secretaries of the four Left parties. The participants raised slogans in support of peace and communal harmony and against fundamentalist forces. Wheat MSP a Cruel Joke on Peasantry CPI(M) Punjab State Secretary Charan Singh Virdi has dismissed the increase of a meager Rs 75 in Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat to Rs 1,525 per quintal, announced by the Modi government, as inadequate. He said the meagre hike was a cruel joke on the peasantry and added that the increase was not remunerative for Punjab farmers who are already reeling under huge debt. The Modi government, as per its election promise, should have fixed the MSP in accordance with the Swaminathan Commission formula, Virdi said and demanded that the MSP for wheat be fixed at Rs 1,950 per quintal. (END)