From Our Special Correspondent in Kolkata
THE Left Front has decided to organiSe statewide campaign on burning issues of people for a fortnight from June 12. Seven major issues have been identified for the campaign movement. The first issue is defence and restoration of democratic rights in the state. Explaining the contours of the movement, Left Front chairman Biman Basu has said that democratic and civil rights of every section of the people were under attack in the TMC regime. The state administration and the ruling party have created a reign of terror and fear across the state. The fight for democracy is essential to fight for peoples’ livelihood also.  
Left Front will raise the increasing attacks on working class, both in terms of livelihood and their rights. One after the other, factories are being closed in the state. Thousands of jute mill workers have been rendered jobless as nearly 15 mills have closed within a short span. Contractual, casual workers are facing retrenchment. Trade union rights are under attack and ruling party hoodlums have taken control in large parts of the state. Trade unions have already joined hands and declared their programme of united struggle against anti-worker policies of both centre and state government.
The peasantry in the state is virtually reeling under distress. They have been forced to sell their produces, rice and potato, at prices much lower than their production cost. State procurement system has collapsed and only a small part of the target has been achieved. This, coupled with huge decline of rural jobs, has created serious crisis in rural life. Left peasant organisations have already protested in the streets and a statewide road blockade was observed.
Left Front will give special emphasis on the issue of atrocities against women. West Bengal has become an insecure place for women of all ages. Hardly a day passes without any untoward incident against women. Almost in every such incident of violence against women, ruling party activists are the criminals. That has led to indolence of police.
There is a growing frustration among younger generation as employment situation has gone from bad to worse. For example, more than 17 lakh youth have registered with Employment Bank, while only 1500 jobs have been provided so far. There are widespread allegations of corruption in appointment of school teachers. The root cause of this increasing unemployment is collapse of industrial development in the state. This will be an important issue in the campaign.
Left Front will highlight the prevailing anarchy in educational institutions. The colleges and universities in the state have lost their autonomy, teachers and students are being harassed, ruling party leaders have become bosses in a typical mafia-raj. Recently, college and university teachers have also come in the streets to protest such lawlessness in education.
Left Front chairman has said that general mayhem in the state would be another issue. The law and order machinery has collapsed in the state. Ruling party leaders, even their relatives are free to trample any law in the state. Police is either a spectator or themselves victims of this chaos.
Apart from the Left Front constituents, mass organisations are also planning to mobilise people on their sectional demands.

PROTEST AGAINST
FALSE CASES
In the four years of TMC rule, false cases against opposition activists and any kind of dissenters have become a rule in West Bengal. Left Front leaders and activists have been jailed or framed in hundreds of such cases. Reports from 11 districts have shown that 1841 cases have been registered against 70 thousand Left activists. More than one lakh activists are either charged or are under police cases. Victims of ruling party terror are framed in such false cases. Left Front has decided to take up this issue in a vigorous way. There will be sit-ins in front of police stations. The next step of the protest will be gherao and seize of police stations throughout the state.