Over Hundred Left Organisations to Protest in State Capitals on May 23

More than 100 democratic, secular class and mass organizations and progressive groups, under the banner of Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan (JEJAA), will hold marches in all state capitals on May 23 to mark their protest against the BJP-led Centre’s pro-corporate policies.

The JEJAA is an umbrella organization consisting of trade unions, peasant organizations, agricultural workers, state and central government employees, bank and insurance workers, college and university teachers, students, women, Dalits, Adivasis and environmentalists.

As the Modi government completes its four years in power on May 23, JEJAA would observe the day as 'Protest Day'. Highlighting the failure of the Centre in meeting the expectation of the people, JEJAA intends to expose the reality of false promises which were given by the BJP government.

The organizers of the protest said that prior to this proposed demonstration, district and state level conventions would be done in all the states.

Under the Modi regime, people across the length and breadth of the country have been suffering due to the anti-people and pro-corporate policies of the government. Various mass and class organizations took to the streets to protest against the policies. Farmers’ protests in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra among other states, protests of scheme workers, the workers Mahapadaav which had been organized in Delhi on last November, etc. are the few examples of such struggles.

Not only the working people, the students have also been targeted by the Centre. The government continues its effort to crack down the academic spaces. JNU, TISS, Delhi University and Hyderabad University are the prime targets of the right-wing forces and the Centre government led by a right-wing political party.

“We have seen people from different sections of the society fighting against the Centre and its policies. So, it is time to unite together to fight against the anti-people policies of the Centre. On this 4th anniversary of the BJP-led Centre, we will demonstrate together to expose the false promises of the Centre,” said Vikram Singh, General Secretary of Student Federation of India.

The mass movement also puts forward a set of demands, including the appointment of eligible candidates for the vacant posts in various departments under the government, stop contractual practice and ensure proper employment for the unemployed youth, implement the minimum wages for workers as Rs 18,000 per month, farmers should get Minimum Support Price for their produces as per the recommendations of Swaminathan commission, their debts should be waived off and pension for farmers should be ensured, MNREGA should be implemented properly and scholarships for SC / ST and OBC students must be implemented.

Apart from these, the atrocities against Dalits, religious minorities and women have seen an increase in the last few years. The JEJAA also demands that the Dalit leader Chandrasekhar Ravan should be released and the SC / ST Prevention Act should be implemented properly.

The other demands in the charter include 33% reservation for women and stop privatizing public sector services including health care system and defence sector.