Protest Demonstration

Railways is the lifeline of the Indian people, and is the means of livelihood for lakhs of people, but also carries the dreams of crores of citizens. Railways enables thousands of workers go in search of jobs, for students to avail education and appear for exams, for patients to avail healthcare, etc.

In the last week of June, an administrative review meeting by the Chief Minister of West Bengal mentioned the issues of Urban Development and ‘beautification’, encroachments throughout the city landscape, especially in Kolkata and in the adjacent suburbs. The day after the announcements, the police, administration and local authorities began organized crackdown on the street vendors and hawkers in different parts of the state.

Protests were held on July 1 at the call of CPIML across the country demanding postponement of implementation of three new criminal laws and that they must be placed in the new Parliament for proper discussion. Many concerns have been raised by prominent lawyers, civil society activists, political parties and the general public regarding draconian provisions inserted in new laws by the Modi government.

On May 1, AIPWA organised a protest at Patna’s Buddha Smriti against the incident of mass sexual exploitation by JD(S) leader and candidate Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka. Hundreds of women joined the protest and demanded immediate arrest of accused. 

Protesting against the notification to discontinue plus-two (intermediate) classes being held in colleges from April 1 issued by the Bihar Education Department, hundreds of students marched to the office ruling JD(U) on March 1. The march was met with heavy police repression, and several students were injured, including AISA activist Hemant Raj in the police lathi-charge. CPIML MLA Rambali Singh condemned the police action and said that the BJP-Nitish government is hell-bent on destroying the lives of students and the education system in Bihar.

On the call of CPIML protests against the divisive and discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were held across the country on March 14. In Patna, a protest march was taken out by CPIML from JP Chowk to Budh Murti raising slogans against anti-people and unconstitutional CAA.

There is an intense wave of support for the people of Gaza and condemnation for Israel and its US and EU allies across India. The people are coming forward to express their sentiments for the children of Gaza and lives being lost on both sides. Solidarity protests were held at many places in states as well as in New Delhi. Protests also took place in many universities and campuses by the students and faculty. Social media is also being used by people who are prevented from taking out any solidarity protests in support of Palestine by the BJP regime.

The AIARLA and CPIML organised a protest sit-in on 4 Oct at Madhavpur block of Madhubani on a 9-point charter of demands which included a survey of landless families and allotment of 5 decimal land to each of them for homestead, action against a Mahant who implicated dalits in a false case, 200 days of work and Rs. 600 per day wage under MGNREGA, Old age pension minimum at Rs 3000 pm and 200 units of free electricity. 

Tea workers in West Bengal and Assam are on a path of struggle for their demand for bonus and wage increase. In West Bengal, many tea estates in Darjeeling refused to pay a bonus at 20 percent leading to a day’s strike on 9 October in some tea gardens where AICCTU affiliated unions refused to accept an 8.50% bonus. The joint platform of unions negotiated with the tea estate authorities for three rounds of meetings in Kolkata which remained inconclusive.

Bihar ASHAs completed four weeks of their indefinite strike on 9 August with the resolve to carry on their struggle till the demands are met by the Mahagathbandhan government in the state. On 3 August a rally was organised in Patna participated by tens of thousands of ASHAs from all over the state to press for their nine-point charter of demands.