THE three year rule of the Modi led BJP government at the centre has brought all-round miseries for the people, through snatching away the livelihood of vast number of unorganized sector workers through demonetisation, banning cattle sale, cutting allocations for various social welfare measures like old age pensions, MNREGA, ICDS programme etc. Linking of Aadhar cards for getting ration and benefits from other social security measures has rendered vast number of genuine beneficiaries ineligible.  

The economic slowdown and  large scale retrenchment looming large over the much talked about IT sector with only 1.35 lakhs of new recruitment, has generated a lot of resentment among the youth who had enthusiastically rallied  behind the rhetoric of two crores of employment generation every year by the Modi government. To deflect the attention of the common people from the grim economic reality of the country, the BJP and its affiliates are engaged in a sinister game of dividing the people on communal and caste lines.

In the background of the above mentioned national and state situation, the May campaign involving various issues concerning public distribution system, old age pension, employment for youth, agricultural crisis and the resultant hardship leading to suicides among the peasants, large scale migration in search of livelihood, privatisation of health service and education system leading to further impoverishment of the rural poor, growing attacks on women, dalits and minorities etc evoked good response among the rural masses of Bihar.

Till the filing of the report we have collected information about demonstrations and dharnas before the subdivisions of various districts. 100 to 2000 people participated at different sub-divisional headquarters.  In some cases, women out-numbered men.

The first phase of the campaign has ended with positive experiences from the field. People have started reacting as they are bearing the brunt of economic slowdown. The daily struggle for survival for the vast number of daily wage earners in the context of down turn of construction sector, closure of small scale industries and overall impact of crisis ridden economy have fuelled resentment among the common people.

Bihar state committee of the CPI(M) made the initiative and took measures to take the campaign to the village level. District committee meetings were organised and elaborate plans were chalked out to reach the masses.

State centre published leaflets and distributed among the district committees. In turn, the district committees also published leaflets highlighting the issues concerning the common people. Some pressing local issues also found place in those leaflets.

Village level meetings, general body meetings, and corner meetings were organised in various districts.

State Party decided to organise sub divisional level demonstrations and dharnas from May 29-31.

In the overall situation developing at the national level, Nitish led Mahagath bandhan government has failed to give succor to the suffering masses of Bihar. Public distribution system is in shambles, the meagre amount of 400 rupees per month for old and infirm are not distributed on time, MNREGA workers have not been paid their dues for months together and scheme workers are on war path. The recent results of the intermediate council have further exposed the rot in the education system. The political differences of Mahagath bandhan have come to the fore. BJP is trying to fish in troubled water unleashing communal propaganda and inciting communal violence. In the above political scenario, Party will further intensify the campaign and will organise demonstration on June 29 at district headquarters.

On June 1, shocking news of murder of Comrade Ram Sagar Paswan, vice president of Khetihar Majdoor Unino of Begusarai, has exposed the new faces of feudal murderers’  gang operating  in Bachwara where Party has lost many valiant comrades in the past. State general secretary Bhola Diwakar and president Devendra Chourasia met the martyrs family members and paid homage to the departed leader and consoled the bereaved family.

On June 3, Left parties CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), SUCI(Communist), Forward Block, sat together to chalk out joint programme of action concerning the burning issues of the state.