Raipur. The joint platform of trade unions and the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has given a nationwide call for an industrial strike and a rural bandh on 16 February in protest against the BJP government’s policies that are harmful to the workers and the farmers. They have urged various trade unions and farmer organizations in Chhattisgarh to join the strike and make it a success. They have also welcomed the support of state government employees and transport workers for the strike.
In a joint appeal, they have said that the BJP government at the Center and the state has been pursuing anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies that have led to the rise of inflation, poverty, unemployment and the threat to the livelihood of the common people. They have said that the BJP government has failed to fulfill its promises of providing employment to 2 crore youth every year and giving fair prices to the farmers. Instead, it has brought in agricultural laws that are detrimental to the farmers, repealed labor laws that protect the rights of the workers and imposed a labor code that increases bonded labor. They have also accused the BJP government of attacking the basic values of the Constitution, human and civil rights of the people.
They have said that the wealth created by the working people of the country is being looted by the corporates and the common people are suffering. They have said that the BJP government is trying to cover up its failure to provide relief to the common people by using the rhetoric of nationalism and spreading communal hatred and division among the people.
They have also criticized the budget presented by the BJP government in Chhattisgarh, saying that it does not address the basic rights of the people, such as filling up the vacant posts in government departments, giving minimum wages to the workers in the unorganized sector, expanding MNREGA etc. They have said that the budget does not allocate enough funds for the schemes that are being touted as Modi guarantee. They have said that the budget imposes such conditions on the schemes that many people are excluded from them. They have said that the budget is pro-corporate in its essence.
The meeting was attended by worker and farmer leaders like Saura Yadav, MK Nandi, Janaklal Thakur, Narottam Sharma, Vishwajit Harode, Tejram Sahu, Maruti Dongre, Keraram Mannewar, Basant Sahu, Bishat Ray, Sanjay Parate etc. They have said that the Chhattisgarh bandh will also raise the issues of stopping the destruction of forests in Hasdev, stopping the corporate plunder of natural resources, implementing PESA and Forest Rights Act effectively, stopping the state-sponsored atrocities on tribals in Bastar, providing permanent employment and proper rehabilitation to the people affected by land acquisition, ensuring 200 days of work and Rs 600 as wages in MNREGA etc. They have said that they are conducting a large scale publicity campaign by linking the local level demands to the bandh.
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