ON the joint call of five Left parties consisting of CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), RSP and FB, strong protest demonstrations were held throughout the country. This call was given in the background of severe crisis gripping the Indian economy, which has further worsened the miserable conditions of the people in the country.

In Delhi a joint Left Parties protest demonstration was held on October 16 at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. The protest began in the form of a sit in dharna in front of the NDMC building and then marched on the Parliament Street and culminated in a public meeting which was addressed by leaders of the Left Parties.

Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI(M) was the first speaker. He castigated at the Modi government and said that the unemployment situation has reached the worst ever figures in the last 45 years. He said the rise in unemployment is because of the faulty policies of the BJP government.

Terming the present economic crisis reaching at the brink of a recession, he said, there is no way in which the crisis can be met given the stance that the BJP government has taken. He said, it is delinquency of the buyer and not of the seller. The BJP government instead of strengthening the purchasing power of the people is doling out concessions to the corporates presuming that it will trickle down and will leverage the economy. This is not going to happen, he said.

Mentioning a figure of Rs 2.15 lakh crore that was doled out to the corporates, he said the inverse should have been done. The same money should have been utilised to construct roads, build bridges, dig ponds and canals which would have helped the people to get jobs and at the same time their economic power would have increased thus effecting the economy positively.

Ridiculing Modi for saying that “respect those who have money”, Sitaram said that respect should be given to those who create this wealth and this wealth does not come from anywhere else except the workers; hence it is the workers that must be respected. But the Modi government is bent on smashing the workers interests and is determined to sell off public sector to the big corporates. Sharing an incident in the parliament he said that whence Modi launched the Jio mobile phones network he had told him that the slogan of Netaji has been changed by Modi from Jai Hind to Jio Hind. Sitaram also shared the recent incident of the death of a former Jet employee who was not allowed to withdraw money from a bank. Saying that some of the banks are on the verge of a closure and the only guarantee from the government is that the bank holders will get just Rs 1 lakh in case the bank closes down.

D Raja , general secretary of the CPI was the next speaker. He mentioned in detail about the sell out of the airports in the country and said that the BJP has no interest in defending the public sector. Demanding a minimum wage of Rs 21,000 he said it is of utmost importance to ensure that the family is able to live. He said the only alternative to the policies pursued by the present regime can come from the Left. Mentioning about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir he said that the BJP has further alienated the people and this shows that the patriotism of BJP is very hollow.

Kavita Krishnan, polit bureau member of the CPI(ML) also spoke in the meeting. She emphatically said that the present economic crisis is the contribution of Modi which began from the demonetisation. Suggesting strong alliances and campaigns she said that the Left alternative needs to be taken to the people.