Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha in Southern India Meets Lakhs of People in its first 10 days
The Southern leg of the Sangarsh Sandesh Jatha completed ten days, touching close to 10 lakh Indians, spearheading the efforts of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to convey the message of struggles for an alternative that would alleviate the miseries of the millions.
Spreading the message to combat the neo-liberal economic policies of the UPA government, the southern leg of the Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha completed 10 days today. The Jatha completed its journey in the three South Indian States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well as a part of Andhra Pradesh. The Jatha, the first initiative of its kind at the all India level by the CPI (M) which clocked around 2000 kilometers, was received by lakhs of supporters and the masses with great enthusiasm.
The leaders of the Jatha – flagged off on 24th February – addressed meetings in over fifty venues where lakhs of people came to greet the Jatha and be a part of the struggle for a pro-people progressive alternative. Hundreds of thousands more lined the streets to greet the Jatha and numerous receptions were held all through the route. The Jatha was enthusiastically greeted by wide sections of the society that included workers, peasants, agricultural workers, adivasis, dalits, minorities, youth, students and women. It was welcomed with great fervor – different cultural programmes, folk art forms and guard of honour by red volunteers marked these receptions.
People’s anger against the anti-people policies, landlessness, homelessness, water shortage, closure of factories, ruin of traditional industries, rising prices, falling employment, corruption, violence against women and social injustice was palpable all through the route of the Jatha. Many of them had submitted memorandums. People are looking forward to the CPI(M) to make a strong intervention and take forward struggles.
The Jatha traversed through the different venues of heroic struggles like Marthandam, venue of protests against the oppression of the princely State of Travancore, revolutionary Punnapra-Vayalar anti-feudal struggle, the places of Moplah rebellion in Malappuram, Tiruppur, the venue of martyrdom of Kumaran in the independence struggle and workers’ struggles, Salem the venue of the martyrdom in the Jail rebellion, Dharmapuri witness to the heroic Vachathi struggle of adivasis and struggles of dalits against caste oppression, venue of Bellary jail-break by A.K. Gopalan and other comrades, Kurnool witness to resistance against the British and the regions witness to the historic Telangana armed struggle against feudal landlords and the Nizam which was an added source of inspiration.
In a unique show of solidarity eminent academicians, film personalities, folk artists, retired judges, artists, poets and sportspersons met the Jatha leaders and expressed solidarity to CPI(M)’s message of struggle. The Jatha leaders also felicitated more than a hundred families of martyrs and cultural personalities, sportspersons as well as social activists.
“Our Jatha has touched many of the suffering fellow Indians. We had firsthand experience of interacting and understanding the problems people face. We will be looking at continued efforts to intervene and effect a change in these policies which are accentuating the plight of the common man,” said S Ramachandran Pillai, member Polit Bureau CPI(M) and the leader of the southern Jatha.
“The alternate policies placed by the CPI(M) and the Left found conviction among large sections of people. When we explained the effective land reforms, educational reforms and social security programmes for the dispossessed and marginalized that the CPI(M) led Left Governments have been able to implement overcoming immense obstacles created by the Central Government and its fiscal and administrative negativism it struck a chord. The historic two-day all India strike of February 20th and 21st showed the possibility of united working class struggles and the inspiring fifth consecutive victory of the Left Front in Tripura is a sign of things to come”, said M.A.Baby, Polit Bureau member CPI(M).
“People enthusiastically received the Jatha everywhere and are fed up with the different ruling class parties in the Centre and States. We witnessed that the promises made by these parties are broken and the people are extremely angry on these Governments. They are seeking a viable and people-centric alternative. The Jatha took forward a strong message against all forms of caste oppression, gender violence and discrimination against religious minorities” said Srinivasa Rao, Central Secretariat Member of the CPI(M).
“The Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha takes forward the message of struggle and is an effort to give a direction to the spontaneous anger and protests that have been taking place with the people coming on to the streets on various issues. The women of this country are demanding that their right to a life free of violence and equality should be safeguarded in a democratic polity” said Sudha Sundaram, Central Committee Member of the CPI(M).
