Addressing the ‘Vikalp Rally’ in Jharkhand, held by CPI(ML) in Ranchi on
2 December, Party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya called upon the people to wipe out BJP from Jharkhand and put up a tough challenge before the UPA which has betrayed with the 2004 mandate. He recounted that four years back, soon after Jharkhand achieved statehood, we said at the Party’s ‘Navnirman Rally’ here that the forces capable only of killing the people’s aspirations have usurped Jaharkhand, so the real battle has begun now. It proved true – during the four-year rule by the BJP-led NDA government, starvation of the poor, eviction and out-migration of Adivasis and closure of industries has continued unabated. He said that the BJP’s dream of turning Jharkhand into another Gujarat has been shattered, and it is high tine BJP is driven away from this state.
He appealed to the forces of the left not to compromise workers’ and peasants’ interests and rally under the banner of the red flag instead of trailing behind Congress or Shibu Soren.
The colourful rally held at Morhabadi grounds was also addressed by Politbureau members Ram Naresh Ram and Akhilendra Pratap Singh.
Party CC member and Jharkhand MLA Comrade Mahendra Singh said that Shibu Soren is playing the role of Congress agent in Jharkhand. While the BJP government has failed to organise panchayat elections in the state in its four-year rule, it poured every ounce of its might in crushing the resistance of adivasis, backward, women and minorities. Through its struggle for democracy and safeguarding people’s rights against government repression, the Party has shown that only the red flag can bring peace and prosperity to Jharkhand.
The rally was also addressed by CC Members, Comrades Ibnul Hasan Basroo, Khet Mazdoor Sabha General Secretary Rameshwar Prasad, AICCTU general secretary Swapan Mukherjee and Jharkhand party leaders Rajkumar Yadav, Jitendra Kumar, Surun Soren and Suneeta of AIPWA. The welcome address was delivered by Prof. BP Kesri and the meeting was presided over by Subhendu Sen, Secretary of Jharkhand State Committee.
The rally was held following two months of campaign against starvation and repression throughout the state, during which dharnas were staged at district headquarters. In Garhwa, district headquarters was gheraoed and in Palamu, worker-peasant panchayat was held. Bandhs were organised in Lesleyganj, Patan, Barwadih and Nagar Utari. In Giridih, ‘Nyay March’ was held against starvation and crime. The demand to sack the SP Dipak Verma, who is accused of hiring a criminal to kill a lawyer, was made along with the demand to release Party leaders Sitaram Singh and Loknath Paswan. Effective ‘peoples’ courts’ were held against local MLAs in Gomia and Bermo constituencies of Bokaro district. Hazaribagh district bandh was observed against the closure of Indo-Asahi Glass Factory.