Six Left parties organized a joint campaign from 1 to 6 December on the 23rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition against the Modi govt’s drive to spread communal hatred and destroy the secular fabric of the country. Reports received so far from different states are as follows:
Bihar: CPI(ML), CPI(M), CPI, SUCI (C), Forward Bloc, and RSP held anti-communal protest marches and meetings in Patna and many other places in Bihar.
In Patna, with the permission being refused in the main regions, the march was taken out from the public library and it culminated in a meeting at Gardanibagh thana. Addressing the meeting, Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya said that in spite of electoral debacles in Delhi and Bihar, the BJP continues to pursue its agenda of communal hatred; recently Home Minister Rajnath Singh even questioned the Country’s secularism. He pointed out that the Babri demolition was part of a chain of events which started with the Bhagaplur riots and ended with the Surat and Bombay riots. Today those very people are in power and we must unite to oppose their communal agenda. The Bihar Govt, showing scant respect for the peoples’ verdict, is not playing the role it should, and even refused permission for the protest meeting to express the peoples’ protest against the communal agenda of the BJP. Comrades Sarvoday Sharma (CPI-M), Arun Kumar Singh (FB), TN Azad (SUCI (C)) also addressed the meeting. CPI(ML) PB member Com. Dhirendra Jha conducted the meeting.
In Bhagalpur a protest march and a meeting were held, latter at Shaheed Bhagat Singh memorial in which activists from the 6 Left parties participated, shouting slogans and carrying banners against the attacks on secularism, assault on the Constitution, politics of hate, attacks on education, and the fascist-communal attempts to destroy secularism and transform India into a Hindu-rashtra.
In Supaul protest march culminated in a meeting presided over by Com. Jitendra Chowdhury. Speakers said that the RSS and Modi Govt are going all out to destroy the Country’s Ganga-Jamni culture of diversity, curb the freedom of educational and cultural institutions, and intimidate and attack free thinking intellectuals. The workers, farmers, youth and intellectuals of the country must unite to fight this evil design. Protests were also held in Arwal, Muzaffarpur, Bhojpur, Sasaram, Masaurhi, Gaya, Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Gopalganj, Champaran, Nawada, Purnea, Paliganj, and other places. In Siwan, a protest meeting was held at martyr Comrade Chandrashekhar’s memorial.
Uttar Pradesh: Anti-communal protests were held in the midst of panchayat elections (7 Nov-13 Dec) in many districts of UP including capital Lucknow. In Lucknow hundreds of activists from Left parties and peoples organizations, workers, farmers, students, youth, women, writers, and intellectuals protested vociferously against the Sangh’s hate campaign and in favour of India’s collective culture and collective heritage. The meeting was presided over by Com. Ramesh Sengar of CPI(ML), Com. Madhu Garg (CPI-M), Com. Asha Mishra(CPI), and it was conducted by Com. Jayprakash of the SUCI (C). The protest meeting was addressed by leaders from the Left parties as well as organizations like IPTA, JASAM, AIDWA, AIPWA, PRALES, JALES, Mahila Federation, KALAM, SFI, AISA, DYFI, CITU, AITUC, AICCTU, Nirman Mazdoor Union, and Dalit Soshan Mukti Manch.
In Kanpur a dharna was staged at the Gol Chauraha Park on 5 December under the aegis of Trade Union Ekjutta Manch to protest against injustices towards dalits, minorities, and workers. Activists from 7 trade unions participated in the dharna. Com. Arvind Kumar and Hari Singh addressed the dharna.
Joint Left protests, marches, and meetings were also held in Mau, Ghazipur, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Lakhimpur Kheeri.
Jharkhand: CPI(ML) and AIPF jointly organized a meeting and discussion on Politics of Intolerance and the Left in Giridih on 6 December, presided over by Com. Manoj Bhakt. He said that the BJP is doing this as a conspiracy to divert attention from people’s issues such as price rise, education, health and employment where the govt. has cheated and betrayed the people. The meeting was also addressed by Rajesh Sinha of AIPF.
Assam: A convention against communalism was organized by 4 Left parties– CPI(ML), CPI(M), CPI, and SUCI(C) at Nagaon. The meeting was presided over by a 4 member presidium. Comrades Rubul Sharma, Iftaqur Rahman, Achyut Akerya, Jyotirmay Jana and others addressed the convention, which was followed by an impressive rally.
Haryana: Left parties jointly conducted a campaign against the politics of communal hatred being carried out in the Country as well as the State. Sankalp marches were taken out in Yamunanagar on 5 December and in Karnal on 6 December. Presiding over the Yamunanagar march, Com. Prem Singh Gehlawat said that the BJP Govt. is carrying on a reign of loot and divisiveness; their narrow thinking and fawning over the rich stands exposed thoroughly. Intolerance and hatred in the State have risen sharply since the Khattar Govt. came to power, but the people will fight and oppose this and put an end to this divisive agenda. Com. Jarnail Singh Sangwan, Dharam Pal Chauhan and Mahendra Singh Chopra highlighted the anti-poor and anti-workers/farmers character of the govt. The Karnal rally on 6 Dec was attended in large numbers by women, and addressed by Com. Gehlawat, Com. Jagmal, Shyam Lal Jaisinghpura, Kartar Singh, and others.
Joint protests against communalism and growing intolerance were also held in Delhi and Chandigarh.
