ANDHRA Pradesh came to a standstill on March 5 in response to a bandh call given by the Vizag Steel Plant Protection Committee. People from all walks of life opposed the central government’s move to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) known as the pride of the Telugu people.

The workers of the plant who have been relentlessly staging protests at the Plant for over a month now, have received support from all major political parties except the BJP and its ally Janasena. Ruling YSRCP, main opposition party TDP, CPI(M), CPI and other Left parties participated in the bandh.

On March 5, educational institutions remained closed, state public transport and even private transport vehicles ceased operations. Most commercial shops have voluntarily shut down during the day. Lorry Owners Association and Chamber of Commerce were among the major organisations that stood by the steel plant workers and participated in the bandh.

“The employees of Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) went on mass casual leave and came out onto the roads to oppose the privatisation of VSP. The workers of VSP boycotted their duties and joined the protest. We have exempted the workers posted in vital areas and officers who are required to prevent disruption of production,” Ch Narasinga Rao, CPI(M) state secretariat member said.  YSRCP MP V Vijaya Sai Reddy, tourism minister M Srinivasa Rao and agriculture minister K Kannababu led rallies at various places. In some parts of the city, CPI state joint secretary J V Satyanarayana Murthy led the protest.

Leaders of the Left parties, YSRCP and TDP took out rallies and staged protests in Krishna and West Godavari districts by holding party flags and placards. CPI(M) and CPI activists staged a dharna at the Lenin Centre in Vijayawada, led by P Madhu, CPI(M) state secretary, K Ramakrishna, CPI state secretary and others, while the AP NGOs’ Association staged a protest at Gandhi Nagar. Apart from the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh, protests were held in Hyderabad, Khammam, and other places of Telangana.

Despite its several attempts to gain a foothold in the state, BJP has become thoroughly isolated in the state now, with its decision to privatise VSP. Its many attempts to create a divide among the people of the state over communal lines have only been utter failures and its attempts to create tensions over incidents of vandalising of temples in the state have also failed to gain public traction. While the BJP planned to contest the Tirupati parliament constituency by-elections by converting all the tensions in their favour, the Steel Plant privatisation proposal has caused aversion among people towards that party. The sentiment of ‘Visakha Ukku - Andhrula Hakku’ (Vizag Steel - Right of Telugu people) has  roused the people of AP and Telangana against the communal BJP.  

FMS’ REPLY IN PARLIAMENT
ADDS FUEL TO FIRE
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement in parliament on March 8 that confirmed that the centre would divest its stake in VSP has sparked protests at the Steel Plant. The employees and trade union representatives, who have been organising protests against the decision of the union government for the past several weeks, stopped traffic on the national highway at Kurmannapalem on Monday evening. Traffic came to a stand still for more than six kilometres on the national highway and the protest continued till Tuesday night.

Visakha Steel Plant Protection Committee leaders Ch Narasinga Rao, Mantri Rajasekhar and D Adinarayana demanded that the centre come out with a statement on why it had failed to allocate captive mines to the VSP, which would take the plant on the road to profits. They warned that the BJP government would be taught a lesson by the people of the state, if the centre remained adamant on the issue. The committee leaders demanded that the finance minister withdraw the statements that the state government has no stake in the plant.

The steel plant administration office was picketed on March 9 against the decision of the central government. Thousands of workers, employees, refugees and their family members stormed the administration building from 8.30 am. Director (finance) Venugopal, who tried to attend the office, was stopped on the road for two hours. Even as the CISF personnel cordoned him and tried to help him to get into the admin building, the protesters vehemently opposed and the officer was forced to sit in the car for more than two hours. Later the forces convinced the workers and Venugopal was allowed to go back to his residence. The siege continued till 8.00 pm. The effigies of the prime minister and other ministers were burnt on this occasion. After the siege, the committee met on March 9th evening and decided to serve a strike notice to the management to go for a strike after March 24. A huge public meeting is planned for March 20, in which the national leaders of central trade unions are expected to participate and address the issue.

Meanwhile, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh wrote another letter to prime minister Modi requesting him to reconsider the decision of 100 per cent strategic disinvestment. The CM appealed to the PM for an appointment to meet him along with all-party leaders and of trade unions at an early date. The state-level forum for protection of Steel Plant, comprising trade unions and mass organisations called for protests from March 11th onwards. Protest rallies and effigy burnings opposing the privatisation will be done on March 11and 12. Massive representations will be given to MPs on the 13th and 14th. Protest actions will be organised at the central government offices on March 15.