CPI(M) district units in Maharashtra swung into action to denounce the massive rail fare hike imposed by the Narendra Modi-led BJP-NDA government less than a month after assuming office! The surreptitious act was done in a most undemocratic fashion - even before its first railway budget that is due next week and behind the back of Parliament! When the Congress-led UPA regime had done the same thing once earlier, it was the BJP that had gone hammer and tongs at them. And now its own government is doing exactly the same thing!
In various other ways also, the BJP-led central government is going back on its election pledges and is taking policies that are further fuelling price rise for the common people. There are already clear indications that the Narendra Modi regime is preparing to shower an unprecedented bonanza on the corporate lobby that liberally financed the BJP’s lavish election campaign. This will soon become clear from the ensuing Union budget.
Apart from the dastardly attack of the rail hike on both passenger fares and freight charges, all these other policy issues were also raised by the CPI(M) in the large and spirited protest actions that were held from June 21 to 24 in different districts of Maharashtra. Thousands of leaflets were printed and distributed to the people by the Party during these actions.
In the state capital Mumbai, two protest actions were held on June 23 - one outside the Dadar Railway Station and the other outside the Bhandup Railway Station The Dadar protest was led by CPI(M) state secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale, state secretariat member Mahendra Singh, state committee members Shailendra Kamble, Dr S K Rege, Sonya Gill, Ashok Banerjee and others. The Bhandup protest was led by state committee members Sayeed Ahmed, Dr Vivek Monteiro, district secretariat members Hemkant Samant, Adv Armaity Irani and others.
In Thane district, three protest actions were held on June 23 and 24 - at the Dahanu Railway Station, at the Talasari National Highway and at the Jawhar district collectorate. The largest action was a 2000-strong march in Jawhar. These actions were led by Party state secretariat members Rajaram Ozare MLA and Mariam Dhawale, state committee members L B Dhangar, Barkya Mangat, Edward Vartha, Ratan Budhar, district secretariat members Ladak Kharpade, Sangeeta Ozare, Radka Kalangada, Raja Gahala and others.
In Solapur city, a large demonstration was held on June 23 and it was led by Party central committee member and ex-MLA Narsayya Adam, state committee members M H Shaikh, Sidhappa Kalshetty, Naseema Shaikh and others. A memo was given to railway authorities.
In Nashik district, a 2500-strong march was organised on June 24 at the rural tehsil centre of Chandwad and this was led by Party state committee member Kisan Gujar and by Shabbir Syed, Asha Jadhav, Kailas Balsane, Nanda More, Rajaram Thakare and others.
An immediate protest action was held at Latur on June 22 and this was led by the Party’s former state secretariat member Dr Vithal More, district secretary Dr Sangram More, Sudhakar Shinde, Vishwambhar Bhosale, Jeevanrao Deshmukh, Sanjay More and others.
News from other centres have yet to come in while filing this report.