IN the first part of this report last week, the Corona lockdown relief work conducted by the CPI(M) and mass fronts in Mumbai, Palghar and Thane districts was outlined. In this second and concluding part, the work in some of the other districts in Maharashtra is recounted.   

SOLAPUR

In Solapur, the CPI(M) and all mass organisations are trying hard to help the victims of the lockdown. With the help of local NGOs, our activists are distributing food, grocery and other essentials to the needy. Many of our activists in Godutai Parulekar housing society and elsewhere have received official passes from the police, in view of the commendable relief work that they have been doing. Some progressive social and cultural groups like Navashakti Tarun Mandal, Shahid Ashfaqulla Sanstha, Paramveer Chakra Abdul Hamid Mandal, Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar Mitra mandal are assisting in helping the poor and needy. In the urban areas, CITU, AIDWA and SFI activists are working day and night to reach out to the poor people.

CPI(M) state secretary Narasayya Adam is personally negotiating with the owners of powerloom and bidi factories to ensure maximum help from them for the workers. After his intervention, these workers have been given food and shelter. The powerloom workers have received on an average Rs 900-1200 for this lockdown period. CITU has helped bidi workers by getting them all their outstanding dues for several months. A struggle is still on for their salaries during the lockdown period. In rural areas, our activists from AIKS, AIDWA, SFI are helping people in the nearby areas.

Narasayya Adam and CITU state general secretary M H Shaikh are personally trying to help migrant workers from other districts too. Solapur being the hub of the unorganised sector, the working class is anticipating worse days. Our activists too are gearing up for more relief work.

A moving incident occurred in the large Godutai Parulekar housing society at Kumbhari in Solapur last week. This society of 10,000 houses for bidi worker women has been built with the initiative of the CPI(M) and the CITU. One Bholashankar Varma, a truck driver from Delhi, with his family in Uttar Pradesh, was staying here for a few days. He suddenly sustained a heart attack and died. Party comrades contacted his family. Due to the lockdown there was no question of taking his body to UP. His family agreed to cremate him in Solapur. M H Shaikh took the initiative, Rs 10,000 was collected from Party comrades and the bidi workers in the society, and Varma’s funeral was conducted by both Hindus and Muslims together. This was widely hailed by the local press as an instance of the humanitarian unity of the people under the Red Flag.  

NASHIK
After lockdown from March 25, Nashik district CITU undertook various activities for awareness among workers and the working people at large in Nashik district and providing them relief. It used social media for education of working people through creating videos, small write ups on coronavirus.  CITU-affiliated Construction Workers Union and Domestic Workers Union started distribution of grocery kits to unorganised workers including construction workers, domestic workers, self employed, hawkers etc. Till date, these unions have distributed more than 250 grocery kits to the needy.

CITU-affiliated Nashik Workers Union distributed more than 1000 grocery kits to the workers in various factories where wages were not paid for the last three to four months to victimised workers. CITU-affiliated Maharashtra Nagar Parishad Karmchari Sanghatana extended financial assistance to migrant workers from West Bengal in Satana tehsil. CITU helped stranded hotel workers in Gangapur Road, Indira Nagar, various working class areas like Satpur, Mahadeonagar, Kabirnagar, Prabhudhnagar, and Swarbabanagar. CITU also distributed free food packets in Sinnar, Dindori, Igatpuri and Malegaon tehsils. AIIEA, Adv. Jayant Jaybhave, Zakir Shaikh also extended financial assistance for relief work. CITU leaders including state president D L Karad, S K Thombre, Sindhu Shardul, Vasudha Karad, Tukaram Sonje, Santosh Kakade, Satish Khairnar, Anil Gosavi, Nivrutti Kedar, N D Suryavanshi, Shridhar Deshpande are conducting relief work.

NANDED
On March 26, 82 migrant workers from Sikar, Rajasthan were rescued by our Party comrades and given food and essentials. With the help of the local administration all were safely sent to their hometowns in Rajasthan. Many other migrant workers from Sikar, Nagor and Bikaner districts were helped. Many workers from Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and one migrant couple from Kerala were trapped in the lockdown. Our comrades found them out and helped with medicines and other essentials.

In Mahur tehsil, Party comrades tried hard and forced the local administration to distribute ration to the widows, aged, disabled, landless and destitutes. Similar work was done in Kinwat tehsil. In Mukhed tehsil, Party activists helped 69 nomadic tribe families in getting ration cards and RCID numbers. 25 nomadic families in some other areas were also issued ration cards. In Ambulga gram panchayat, many migrants were rescued and are being served food every day.

CPI(M) Nanded city secretary Gangadhar Gaikwad is a member of the Whatsapp group created by the district collector. This has helped our AIKS, CITU, AIAWU, DYFI, SFI activists to know the whereabouts of those in distress and help them accordingly.

Leading comrades like Vijay Gabhane, Shankar Sidam, Arjun Adey, Kishore Pawar, Prahlad Chavan, Janardhan Kale, Gangadhar Gaikwad, Ujjwala Padalwar, Balaji Kaletwad and Vinod Govindwar are constantly engaged in the relief work.

NAGPUR
Over 300 migrant workers staying in 36 localities, who hail mainly from West Bengal, but also from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are being served with food and other essentials for several days by CPI(M) and CITU activists. Fund was collected by our CITU Coalminers Union, ASHA and Anganwadi unions to serve food to contractual workers in AIMS hospital. At the same time, pressure is being put on the administration to give ration to the poor. Those taking the initiative in this work are CPI(M) district secretary Arun Latkar, Nasir Khan and Dilip Deshpande (CITU), Raju Hatwar (AIKS), Krunal Sawant (DYFI) and others.

AMRAVATI
Many migrant workers from various districts of West Bengal who were stuck in Amravati due to the announcement of the sudden lockdown were helped with food. Police and local administration were pressurised to provide ration of 15 days to these migrants in various tehsils of the district such as Amravati, Chandur Railway, Daryapur etc after the intervention and continuous follow up of CPI(M) activists in Amaravati. These workers then contacted many such migrants who were stuck in other districts. Comrades from Amravati then contacted the Party in other districts and helped them to get some help in the respective areas. The campaign here is being led by state committee member Subhash Pande.

RAIGAD
In Uran and Panvel tehsils of Raigad district, CPI(M) and CITU helped many construction and naka workers who were trapped badly in the lockdown. They collected rice, pulses, flour, oil, salt, spices, vegetables etc and distributed to nearby construction workers from West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. It is due to the intervention and vigorous follow up by our activists that these and other workers started getting the free ration declared by centre and state governments. The tehsildar of Uran was pressured to distribute 5 kg rice to 3000 naka and construction workers. The campaign to collect and distribute the essentials is still on under the leadership of CITU state secretary Bhushan Patil, CPI(M) district secretary Sanjay Thakur, DYFI state treasurer Santosh Thakur, Shashi Yadav, Dilip Koli, Parag Thakur etc.

NANDURBAR-DHULE

Many migrant workers were extended help in the district. This includes 14 in Shahada, 3 in Sindkheda, 10 in Dhule. Fund was collected by the Party for their grocery and other essentials. The local administration was pressurised to give them ration. Many were given cash for transport back to their native places, all in West Bengal.

BHANDARA

For several days, our DYFI activists in Sakoli tehsil are serving free food to 350 migrant workers who could not go back to their native states, besides many truck drivers and cleaners. Doctors and other medical staff are also being given tea, snacks, at times food. 10 migrants from West Bengal in nearby areas are also being given food.

SANGLI

In Sangli district, AIDWA activists are cooking and distributing food every day to 70 needy families. Kits of essential food items are prepared and distributed to 450 people every day. Here a Shaheen Bagh-type agitation against CAA-NRC-NPR had been led by the AIDWA for over a month before the lockdown began. Women participants in that are now helping the AIDWA in this relief campaign, which is being led by AIDWA state joint secretary Rehana Shaikh.   

PUNE

The CPI(M) and CITU in Pune, led by state committee member Ajit Abhyankar, has helped several migrant workers from Tripura, West Bengal and other states and has provided them food and rations.

AURANGABAD

The CPI(M) in Aurangabad has helped 200 families to get new ration cards. CITU has made arrangement for food for 25 migrant workers.

JALGAON

48 daily wage tribal workers and their families working in a jinning press were helped with wheat, rice, daal, sugar, cooking oil etc by the CPI(M) and MSMRA. All these are Pawra tribals from Badwani district in Madhya Pradesh.

MSMRA

The Maharashtra State Medical Representatives Association (MSMRA), affiliated to FMRAI, has collected fund of Rs 10,000 and has conducted good relief work in several districts. In Jalna, ready food packets were distributed to 50 people. Migrants were given free grain, food essentials and vegetables to suffice for a week. In Akola, food and shelter was provided to 10 migrants. Some workers in Akola city were given food and vegetables for 15 days. In Chandrapur food and vegetables were distributed for 15 days to 20 migrant workers from West Bengal. In Bhandara, many bedsheet vendors were provided with 15 days food grains and vegetables. Activists requested landlords to waive their rent during this lockdown period. In Ratnagiri, 25 daily wage construction workers working at the Mumbai-Goa highway got proper help. In Nanded, sanitisers and masks were distributed free to more than 100 people. In Nashik, activists donated blood.

In many other districts, similar relief work is going on. This work by the CPI(M) and the mass fronts will continue throughout the period of the lockdown.