STATEWIDE Jathas by Bengal Platform of Mass Organisations have elicited tremendous response in West Bengal. Tens of thousands of people have participated in the local level jathas in all districts of the state, making it already the biggest campaign programme by Left mass organisations in the last four and half years in the state. In fact, the reach and simultaneous nature of the programme has marked it as one of the largest campaign movement of all time in West Bengal.

BPMO, a platform of more than 100 mass organisations, has declared that the jathas would try to reach almost all booth areas of the state. Apart from centrally decided 15 point charter of demands, local level demands and burning issues of the people have been raised by jathas.

On November 14, a public meeting in Jadavpur marked the beginning of the statewide programme. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee flagged off the jatha in Kolkata. CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty and leaders of various mass organisations were present in the well attended meeting.

Jathas have travelled in remote corners of the state, braving terror and attacks. Jathas have been organised in Nandigram, for example, an area virtually prohibited for the Left for many years now. Many jathas have marched through Jangal Mahal areas of West Midnapore. In some places, these processions have entered in villages after four years or more. In Toofanganj in Coochbehar, the blockade of terror was broken as hundreds of people welcomed the participants. Partially this could be done in areas like Khanakul in Hooghly where hundreds of Left supporters were forced to leave their residences under the TMC regime.

Jathas were attacked by the TMC armed gangs in Burdwan, Hooghly, West Midnapore, Birbhum and Howrah. In some areas, TMC miscreants attacked the procession or cordoned off the villages. In some other places, the villagers faced their wrath for having welcomed the jathas. However, there were various examples of resistance too. In Galsi and Bhatar of Burdwan, the villagers chased away the bike-borne attackers who were forced to flee.

In North Bengal, the distress and starvation deaths of the tea garden workers have been prominently raised. In many tea gardens in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Darjeeling, workers participated in the jathas. The deteriorating condition of the peasantry and declining prices of their produces were highlighted too.

In Bankura, Birbhum and Purulia, one of the major problems is acute loss of jobs in rural areas, forcing thousands to migrate to other states for work. The rural development activities have stopped under the TMC regime. The loss of crop this year has accentuated the problem. It was reflected in the villagers’ mood when the jathas entered their localities.

In Burdwan, the peasantry has suffered due to lack of irrigation this year. Due to the callousness of the state administration, they did not get adequate water during the peak cultivation period. There are regular reports of farmers’ suicides from the grain store of Bengal. The anger of the peasantry was reflected when they joined in large numbers in the jathas. 

The people of Hooghly are still bearing the wound left by the deserted automobile project. The incumbent government had assured them about undoing the damage. But nothing has yielded in the last four years. Consequently, the anger of the people has gushed out through the rallies which have been conducted in Hoogly district. People who stood against the earlier Left Front government, with a big hope for a positive change, now joined the rally to vent out their grievances against the TMC government. Farmers are not getting the value for their crops, the automobile industry of Hind Motors is counting its days, all the jute mills of Serampore area are on the verge of extinction. The demand for rejuvenation of industries has been focused in jathas.

Once upon a time, as many as five lakh women organised themselves and formed self help groups in the state. But now all their efforts seem to have been wasted. TMC government has abandoned its responsibilities towards them. In many districts, including Murshidabad and Nadia, the frustrated members of these groups have joined the jathas.

One of the features of these jathas is the massive participation of tribals in many districts. They have come wearing their traditional attires and with musical instruments, turning jathas more colourful.

In many areas, the participants and volunteers in the jathas have spent the night in villages, interacting with people. In most cases, the jathas have taken lunch in villages, prepared by the villagers.

The intensive and widespread programme has helped to regain trust and has strengthened bonds in many areas. The details of peoples’ everyday lives and their actual sufferings have come to fore.

The jathas will continue till November 22 in general but for specific areas they will continue for a week more.

Box item:

State Charter of Demands

1. Job for all. Ensure transparency in new recruitment. Industrialisation for better future of the youth.

2. Ensure equal pay for equal work. Minimum wages must be set to Rs 15,000.

3. Social security for unorganised labourers. Stop contract based appointment of labourers.

4. Return the money of all chit fund scam victims and punish all the concerned leaders, ministers and bureaucrats.

5. Stop price rise of essential commodities. Ensure food security and inclusion of the names of all needy people (four crores) in the BPL list.

6. Maintain subsidy in the agriculture sector. Start separate insurance for crops. Cut the interest rate on the agricultural loans.

7. Withdraw increased charges on electricity. Repeal the new Electricity Bill.

8. Ensure free and transparent educational institutes. Ensure free of cost education till 12th standard for all poor and middle class children.

9. Restore democracy in the state. Allow organisations to work independently.

10. Ensure safety and social security of women.

11. Give all due salaries, allowances, pensions as soon as possible. Start pension for all senior citizens.

12. Stop privatisation of government property. Stop anti labour law reforms. Reopen all closed factories.

13. Do not put political pressure on artists and writers.

14. Ensure rehabilitation of all the evacuees. Give citizenship to the refugees by rectification of 2013 Citizenship

Act. Stop slum eviction and ensure development.

15. Maintain religious peace and reject communalism.