CPI activists held rally against handing over 4,000 acre to POSCO

Ludhiana, April 12, 2013: The Ludhiana district unit of the Communist Party of India held a rally in solidarity with the brave struggle that is going on against the Central and State government move to handover 4,000 acre of fertile agricultural land at Jagatsinghpur district, (Odisha) near the Paradeep Part to a South Korean transnational corporation, POSCO for a steel plant, displacing several thousand families who have been earning their livelihood for near a century.

Hundreds of workers carrying placards condemned state repression on the peaceful agitators and demanded immediate cancellation of false cases against CPI national council member Abhay Sahu and others, suitable payment to those killed and injured by the police, stop evicting people from the area, proper compensation to the land owners and ensure that the environment considerations/obligations are met with.

Addressing the gathering, Kartar Singh Bowani, District Secretary said that the government is out to sever the interest of foreign Multi National Corporations while completely ignoring the local population.

Dr Arun Mitra, Assistant Secretary said that the neoliberal economic policies pursued by the governments have led to huge widening of gaps in the society with net income of vast majority of our population falling down continuously. Increase in prices of essential commodities is deliberate as a result of these policies. He also condemned the rise in power tariff by the Punjab Government and termed it like adding fuel to the fire of people’s problems. This must be rolled back he said. 

DP Maur, Assistant Secretary said that the people’s resentment against these policies has been widely reflected in the two days trade union strike on February 20 and 21. But the government instead of talking to the working class is holding meetings with the elite.

Others who addressed included OP Mehta, Gulzar Goria and Gurnam Gill.