Youth and Tribals Demand Employment and Rights in Saffron Bastion

Recently, there have been some commendable initiatives to organise rural poor, tribals and youth in Gujarat.

On 19th December 2004, the newly formed RYA committee of Ahmedabad city organised a mass rally and a public meeting. The programme evoked a good response among the youth of the area, which is regarded as the stronghold of BJP CM Narendra Modi. The people raised slogans against fascist Modi Government and anti-people, anti-youth UPA government in Centre. The public meeting was addressed by RYA President of Ahmedabad city Comrade Amit, as well as other RYA leaders. The colourful rally raised slogans and displayed banners demanding the announcement of a time-bound employment guarantee programme, unemployment allowance of Rs. 2500, strict steps to stop commercialisation of education and donation system, removal of restrictions on government jobs and filling of empty posts reserved for backwards, easy government loans to the unemployed youth, free transportation to all those who are going for interviews and a special employment schemes for the adivasis and dalits.

On 26th December 2004, an Office of the CPI(ML) was inaugurated in Anand District. Around 50 people, including agrarian labourers, poor and medium farmers from different villages and local youth and intellectuals, participated in the programme. A talk on the topic ‘Problems of Local Farmers and Rural Poor and Their Solutions’ was held, where the Ahmedabad Secretary of the Party, Comrade Laxmanbhai Patanwaria, a writer Comrade John, and others participated. The talk was concluded by the Gujarat in-charge of CPI(ML) Comrade Ranjan Ganguly, who demanded the implementation of a special law for agrarian labourers. In the end of the talk the decision was taken to hold a rally on different issues of farmers and agrarian labourers under the banner of CPI(ML) on 26th January 2005.

On 3rd January 2005, the CPI(ML) unit of Sabarkantha district hold a rally in Himmatnagar. The main issues raised in this rally were the provision of Narmada water and electricity to the farmers and adivasis of this area, unemployment allowance of Rs. 2500 to youths of this area, employment to the women and dalits of this area, implementation of a central law for the agrarian labourers and construction labourers, a stop to eviction of adivasis, dalits and backward classes from the jungles of this area. A charter of these demands was given to the collector by hundreds of workers, farmers, dalits, adivasis and youths. The rally was addressed by several CPI(ML) leaders. q