THE burden on common man’s life is the outcome of the policy adopted by the central government and state governments. The attack on food and employability is becoming fierce day by day in Bengal; factories are getting closed; people are losing job and on the other hand skyrocketing price rise of the essential commodities is putting the people in a miserable condition. The state government is not uttering a word against price hike and simultaneously people are having to pay hefty amount on electricity bills due to the policy of the TMC government, said Surjyakanta Mishra, CPI(M) state secretary and Polit Bureau  member of CPI(M)   on June 22 in Kolkata, before the commencement of the spirited rally convened by the Kolkata district Left Front, to protest against price hike.

Member of parliament and Polit Bureau member of CPI(M) Md Salim said before the start of the rally that both the central and state governments are paying no heed to the struggle of the common people. The ruling party of the state is totally involved with financial scams; so common people and their vanguard have to hit the street to mark protest, he added.  

The rally started from the city’s heart, Esplanade area and ended at Sealdah Station area. Several leaders of the Left parties and thousands of people joined the march to raise voice against price hike. Biman Bau, chairman of West Bengal Left Front committee and Polit Bureau member of CPI(M), said after the end of the rally that there will be bigger rally in the city of Kolkata on July 11 on the demand of putting control on price rise where seventeen Left parties will take part in the united protest. He said further that meetings will be organised in the city and as well as different districts in front of the markets and mass movements will be launched with greater participation of the common people of the state. He also said that the task-force of the state government is a farce and has failed to have any control on the price rise of the essential commodities.

HEINOUS ATTACKS

ON LEFT

The fascistic post-poll violence unleashed on Left parties by TMC has an intention to finish Left forces, said Surjyakanta Mishra in a press conference on June 23. This attack has to be prevented by forming a broad-based unity of Left Front, other Left parties and other secular-democratic forces, he added. He elaborated that the autocratic attack unleashed by the ruling party has a definite intention which has a difference from the attack unleashed by them in their first tenure. This time, in absolute fascistic way, the attacks have been mainly focused on the booth, ward or panchayats where Left has performed well in the election. Planned attacks are being initiated on the workers or who have served as polling agents in those areas. The intention is to forcefully dissociate Left activists from the people so that they cannot consolidate before the coming panchayat elections or the parliament election.

Mishra also detailed the character of the post-poll violence. Already nine Left parties workers have become martyrs since the announcement of the election schedule and four of them were killed after the declaration of the results; one has been forced to commit suicide; more than eight women became victims of rape; more than 93 women were molested; 2151 leaders, workers or sympathisers became seriously injured due to the rampage of the ruling party and several false cases were lodged against them, Rs 1.81 crores has been extorted from 301 persons by the ruling party musclemen. Mishra said further that the real gravity of the incident is even worse because the affected people cannot lodge complaints against these atrocities due to severe terror.

Four stage resistance has been chalked out to fight out the fascistic terror:  separate initiatives will be carried out by CPI(M) and its mass organisations, Left Front will launch campaign, Left parties who are not part of the Left Front will be approached for a greater Left unity and other secular-democratic forces have also to be included. Surjyakanta Mishra said unequivocally that protest has to be launched against skyrocketing price hike of the essential commodities and also against the communal attacks unleashed by the RSS in every district. In consonance with CPI(M) Central  Committee’s decisions, nationwide protest action will be observed focusing on price rise and growing unemployment from July 11-17 , 2016. Each district of Bengal will also take part in that call, said Mishra. He further said that all-out effort will be made to ensure the success the general strike on September 2, 2016.