Police repression on the people protesting against civic problems in Patna

Patna, August 14:

Flowing of rotten garbage in water logged Langertoli Lane and emitting of bad smell is the usual phenomenon. SUCI (Communist) activists took initiative to build up movement against this civic problem Residents lent their support and joined the movement. Protest demonstration started at the crossing of Nala Road and Langertoli Lane on August 12 at 10’ 0 clock. As anger was accumulating amongst the residents against the administration, they blocked Nala Road. Street corner meeting was going on. After sometime Ramakant Prasad, Town DSP, reached suddenly on the spot and tried to snatch mike from Com. Anamika, State Vice President, AIDSO, and pushed her towards police van. She was addressing the people gathered there. DSP hit Sadhana Mishra, District Secretary, SUCI (Communist) severely by throwing her on the Road. Common people burst their anger and the mob became furious. After the arrival of DSP with a large contingent of police force, police started resorting to lathicharge indiscriminately and unarmed people were being beaten up chasing on the roads and lanes. DSP started throwing the pieces of burning tires on the body of girls standing on forefront of the protesters. Some hairs and scarf (Dupatta) of Com. Pinki was burnt. She got injury on upper part of her hand. DSP threw pieces of burning tires even on Sadhana Mishra. The palm ofNikolai Sharma, AIDSO Patna Office Secretary cut deeply and he had got 8 stitches. Police continued indiscriminate lathicharge for half an hour from Nala Road to Langertoli Lane. Police arrested 14 people, including 9 women. DSP Ramakant Prasad beat severely Suryakar Jitendra, State Secretary, Anil Kumar, Former Patna District Secretary, Saroj Kumar Suman, Patna District Secretary of AIDSO in police custody asking why were they doing ‘Netagiri’. After getting tired by beating he ordered the fellow police personals to continue it. When Sadhana Mishra protested in high voice the act of Town DSP, he abused her badly and pulled and moved her hair fiercely. He pulled her spectacle and threw on the wall. Under the leadership of DSP Patna police continued beating 5 people for half an hour. Women activists were released in the evening. But Suryakar Jitendra, Anil Kumar, Saroj Kumar Suman, Rahul Singh and Mohan Singh were sent to jail.

A Citizens’ March comprising of professors, teachers, cultural activists, journalists, social workers and human right activists was organized on the next day (13^th August) against severely lathicharge on local residents simply protesting against civic problems, severely beating up students leaders and misbehave with women leaders. The citizens’ march started from Bhagat Singh Chowk and reached Radio Station, where a meeting was held. All the speakers condemned in one voice the police repression on citizens. They demanded unconditional release of the arrested people, suspension of Town DSP and high level enquiry of the incident. The dignitaries who took part in Citizens’ March were eminent Economist Prof. Nawal Kishore Chaudhary, Prof. Vinay Kumar Kanth, Arvind Sinha, Rupesh, Chakrabarty Ashok Priyadarshi, Ashish Ranjan, Poonam, Nand Kishore Singh, Narendra Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Ajay Kumar Sinha, Anish Ankur, Sarfaraj, Shreekant, Baldeo Jha, Jay Prakash, Girija Ranjan Singh, Bal Govind Singh, Ajay Prasad, Com Arun Kumar Singh and Com Sadhana Mishra.

On 14^th of August torchlight (Mashal Julus) procession of students and youths was taken out from Langertoli Lane to Dinkar roundabout. The procession turned into a street corner meeting at Dinkar roundabout. The Meeting was addressed by Indradeo Ray, Secretary, AIDYO Bihar, Sadhana Mishra, Patna District Secretary, SUCI (Cmmunist), Anamika, Vice President, Bihar AIDSO, Rajeev Kumar Sharma and Pushpa. While addressing meeting the speakers narrated the police atrocities on citizens. They opined that the regime recollects the emergency clamped by the then despotic Indira Gandhi. This kind of police atrocity with citizens, especially with women on the road and inside the police lockup is unpardonable in civilized society.

Massive Dharna by Shram Sangathan Manch in Patna

Patna, Aug 9:
Against the anti people and anti labour policies of the state government Shram Sangathan Manch ( forum of trade unions) organised massive dharna on Tuesday defying the incessant rain at Shahid Bhagat Singh Chowk. Shram Sangathan Manch includes AITUC, AIUTUC, CITU, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, AIMU, HMS, INTUC and different trade unions of health, power, bank, insurance sectors.

Dharna was addressed by Arun Kumar Singh of AIUTUC, Chakradhar Prasad Singh of AITUC, Chandra Prasad Singh of INTUC, Arun Kumar Mishra of CITU, M N Vajpayee, Bindeshwari Prasad of HMS, Vakil Thakur of TUCC and Ramdas Prasad of AIMU. All the speakers condemned the state government for introducing the process of privatisation in power, health, education and transport. It was announced that a state level strike will be organised on 20th September, 2011. The dharna was conducted by a presidium comprising of Vimal Chandra Jha (AIUTUC), Chandra Prakash Singh (INTUC), Yogendra Prakash Singh (CITU), M N Vajpayee (HMS), Shivlal Prasad (AIUTUC), Vakil Thakur (TUCC) and Ramdas Prasad (AIMU).

SUCI (C) observes protest day against bid to privatise power, health, state transport and corporations

Patna, August 5:

On state level protest day against bid to privatize power, health, state transport and corporations; administrative corruption, irregularities and anti people policies of the state government SUCI (C) Patna District Committee took out a protest march and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here on Friday.

The protest march started from the statue of Netajee Subhash Chandra Bose and reached Patna Junction roundabout traversing from Fraser Road, All India Radio and Dakbunglow roundabout. The participants were shouting thunderous slogans against the anti people policies of state government.

Addressing the meeting held after burning the effigy Sadhana Mishra, Secretary, Patna District committee, SUCI (Communist) said: The state government is introducing rapidly the policy of privatization, globalization and liberalization following the footprints of anti people Central government. Thousands of posts are laying vacant in government departments but recruitments are about to closed. The process of privatization has been started in power, health and transport sectors. No efforts have been made on the part of the state government to check spiraling price rise. The allotment of lands under BIADA (Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority) to near and dear s of higher government officials and power greedy politicians is unveiling the mask of good governance of Nitish Kumar. Mushrooming of wine shops, introduction of sex education in schools, unbridled show of obscene and blue films are playing role to degrade the cultural-moral standard of people. The crime is also on increase in the state. Murder, loot, kidnapping, ransom asking are going as well. The government is not taking any effective step to stop all these, but on contrary patronizing. The people’s struggle to achieve their legitimate and democratic demands is being suppressed by police force. Suryakar Jitendra, Rajkumar Chaudhary, Anil Kumar and Anamila, all Patna District Committee Members, SUCI (C) spoke on the occasion. All the speakers condemned the anti people policies being followed by the state government and the division of Bihar State Electricity Board (BSES) into five companies opening the door for privatization in power sector as well. They expressed their anguish over increment the rate of electricity second time within six months. They stressed the need to build up democratic mass movements against the anti people policies of Nitish government.

'The Claims of Development of Central and State Government and its Reality’

Under the auspices of SUCI (Communist) Patna District Committee a discussion was held on the topic of 'The Claims of Development of Central and State Government and its Reality’ on 16^th July, 2011 at IMA Hall, Patna. Initiating the discussion Prof. Vinay Kumar Kanth said: “Development should be associated with justice. It should not be viewed in GDP only, but also in poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and political freedom.” Discussing on different concepts came after 2nd world war he said the concepts of increase in the rate of growth had already been discarded in seven tees. Development should be permanent and in favour of the majority of the people.

Discussing on the topic Amitabh Chatterjee, Editorial Staff, Bengali Weekly Ganadabi and Member, West Bengal State Committee, SUCI (Communist) said: “Both Central and State government are playing the drums of development and talking of the rapid escalation of GDP, but the majority of the people are reeling under skyrocketing price hike. People’s cultural and moral standard is declining. The incidents of suicides among peasants and workers are increasing.” Development meant we should have sufficient food, homes for shelter, employment, education for children and treatment in illness. But today opening of shopping malls, construction of flyovers and four lane roads are termed as the criteria of development. Even after 64 years of independence if majority of students living in villages do not get education, workers do not get jobs daily, he added. He wondered what kind of that development was and it was for whom. He suggested to see and judge the development on the basis of class outlook in a class divided society and the society based on exploitation.
Presiding over the programme Arun Kumar Singh, Senior State Committee Member, SUCI (Communist) said: “ On the one hand 77 per cent of the people in the country are compelled to live on Rs 20 per day and the total assets of top 100 rich people is Rs 13 lacks crore, which is equal to one fourth of Country’s GDP. The government has provided Rs 2 lacks crore as a relief package to the capitalists where as the subsidies on petro products and food items are being cut down and consequently their prices are going up.” Discussing on the anti people measures taken by state government he said the Nitish government had started the process of globalization, liberalization and privatization under the cover of development and good governance. So the claims of both the governments are hollow and baseless, he added.

Among others who took part in the discussion were Prof. Devendra Prasad, Prof. Santosh Kumar, Dr. Arvind Sinha, Meera Dutta and Indira Lakshmi. Philip Manthra, Prof. Dezy Narain, Prof. R B Singh, Ram Chandra Lal Das, Priyadarshi and Rupesh Kumar, R N Jha, Narendra Kumar and Sadhana Mishra were present among others on this occasion.

Nitish government wants to bring darkness to its citizens

Patna, July 19:

SUCI (Communist) condemned the proposal of electricity department to dissolve Bihar State Electricity Board. Protesting against this move the SUCI (Communist) Patna District Committee burnt the effigy of the proposal at Patna Jn. Roundabout on Tuesday. After burning the effigy a street corner meeting was held.

Addressing the meeting the speakers referred the pitiable condition of the states where Electricity Act 2003 had been adopted. In its consequence electricity had been privatized, tariffs had been increased exorbitantly and electricity had gone out of the reach of the common consumers. The workers and employees had been retrenched. ‘’ The state government claiming development and good governance following the same anti people policies of Congress led central government. The Nitish government wants to bring darkness to its citizens already reeling under acute poverty, unemployment and price rise,’’ they added. They further added that the power tariff would be eight to ten times costlier and this burden would have to bear the poor people of the state. After dissolution of the Board, under the anti employees policy no permanent recruitment would be done. It would be done on the basis of contract. The speakers demanded the cabinet of Nitish Kumar to discard this anti people and anti employee move of electricity department. They urged the common people in general and electricity consumers in particular to come forward and develop mass movement against this anti people proposal.

The meeting was addressed by Shiwlal Prasad, Manikant Pathak, both senior State Committee Members, Sadhana Mishra, Secretary, Patna District Committee, SUCI (Communist).