A COLOURFUL dharna followed by a rally was held at Bhubaneswar on September 28, outside the state assembly, culminating 'September campaign', a call given by the Party.

Coming from various parts of the state with red flags, banners and placards shouting slogans the protesters joined the dharna. The main issues were livelihood and against pro-corporate communal forces led by BJP-RSS at the centre and anti-people decisions of the state government of BJD.

People came from northernmost Mayurbhanj to southernmost Malkangiri districts covering hundreds of kilometres. Tribals, dalits, and women drawn from different sections of workers, peasants, agricultural workers and poor people participated with enthusiasm. The other issues were: against spiralling price rise of essential commodities,  rising unemployment, corruption, MSP of Rs 3000 per quintal of paddy, separate law for sharecroppers, land to tribal people under Forest Rights Act, against the use of contractors and machinery in MGNREGA work and payment of wages in time, minimum wage of Rs 700 per day, against new labour codes etc.

CAMPAIGN & RALLY

A massive campaign was launched in the state. Distribution of leaflets,  postering, padayatras, general body meetings,  street corner meetings etc.,  were held in hundreds of villages and urban centres from September 14-17.

The meeting at Bhubaneswar was presided over by Janardan Pati, a member of the state secretariat. Surjykanta Mishra, Member Polit Bureau addressed the rally as the main speaker.

He said, “it is  unfortunate for our country and its people that the communal forces like BJP and RSS who did not participate in our freedom movement  against British colonialism and the tyrannical rule of feudal lords and zamindars are now in the central government and observing 75 years of independence hypocritically naming as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.”

Mishra said that the BJP is responsible for skyrocketing price rise of essential commodities and galloping unemployment, and high inflation rate. The farmers are deprived of MSP for their products. The prices of inputs required for agricultural production like fertilizers & seeds are increasing very high. Agricultural labourers are deprived of getting work in the field under MGNREGA and are forced to go on migration to other states.  

Crores of workers are losing their jobs due to mechanisation, recession and closure of factories. The growth of GDP is very low. The rupee is devalued against the dollar due to a deficit in foreign trade. The situation has worsened due to the neo-liberal policies pursued by the BJP/RSS government being dictated by WB/IMF and corporates, he stated.

Mishra called upon the people saying that “When our country’s hard-earned democratic rights, secular fabric and constitution, federalism, social justice, economic sovereignty and the unity of the country are in danger, it is the primary duty of all freedom-loving people to save the country from such a danger and disaster. It can be possible if the fascist forces like the BJP and the RSS are thrown out of central and state power and isolated from the people.”

He also asked the BJD to come forward and join the struggle against the communal forces of the country.

BJD FOLLOWING ANTI-PEOPLE POLICIES

Ali Kishor Patnaik, secretary  Odisha state committee narrated the plight of the common people during the 22 years of BJD rule in Odisha. Naveen Patnaik's government in Odisha has failed to resolve any basic issues of the state. Instead, high voltage propaganda continues to rule the state. Odisha government is in a debt trap with more than one lakh crore rupees; the total debt of the state was Rs 5000 crores in 1999 when Naveen became the chief minister.

The rate of unemployment is very high. Labour power utilisation is also very low, for which 20 lakh young people including girls migrate to other states every year. About 2,26,000  posts in the government departments are lying vacant; more than one lakh posts are vacant in the health and education departments. Farmers are not getting remunerative prices for their produces. Last year two lakh farmers could not sell their paddy in mandi. Around 15 lakh acres of cultivable land are used now for non-agricultural work. Nearly 70 per cent of the agricultural land is cultivated by sharecroppers, but they do not have the right to sell their produce in the mandis.

Ali Patnaik demanded at least 200 days of work for rural workers in a year and a minimum of Rs 700 per day wage; implementation of labour acts; and eight hours working day, amount of Rs 3000 per quintal of paddy as MSP. Land rights to tribals, land to landless, law for the sharecroppers and protecting the rights of the tribal, dalit and women, filling up of all vacant posts in government departments and PSUs.

Janardan Pati in his presidential speech said Naveen Patnaik and his party in Odisha should clarify their stand in fighting the anti-people policies and policies of Hindutvavad of BJP and RSS. BJD, though not an official ally of BJP and NDA, still is supporting all anti-people, pro corporate position of BJP inside and outside the parliament and behaving like an undeclared ally of BJP. It is unfortunate that BJD in Odisha is following the path of the BJP in implementing all the anti-people neoliberal agenda of the BJP.

Others who spoke in the meeting include state secretariat members, Bishnu Mohanty, Suresh Panigrahy, Puspa Dash, Sala Marndi and district committee secretaries.