The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and the Left parties have issued separate calls for a 12-hour “Bharath Bandh” on Monday to protest the “hefty” increase effected in the prices of petroleum products by the United Progressive Alliance government.
While NDA working chairman and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani appealed to all sections and party workers to hold the agitation peacefully and make it a success to highlight the “insensitivity of the government,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the All-India Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party called for a massive participation by the people in the bandh, saying that such a protest would send out a message to the government to review its policies, revoke the decontrol of fuel prices and drop any move for further decontrol.
The NDA and the Left parties made it clear that they were not joining hands. Essential services such as hospitals, electricity and water and milk supply would be exempted from the bandh.
Some important non-UPA parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh and the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Lok Jan Sakthi Party in Bihar are not joining the protest. In fact, the RJD and the LJP have given a bandh call for July 10 in Bihar. The BSP, led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, is also considering a protest.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) Polit Bureau, which met here on Saturday and Sunday, endorsed the bandh call given by the Left parties. It said: “This powerful all-India protest should serve as a warning to the government not to heap burdens on the people and to withdraw the price hike…” The Centre's decision to deregulate petrol and diesel prices “are meant to help the private oil companies and put the people at the mercy of a market controlled by oil MNCs and domestic corporates,” it said.
Earlier talking to journalists after a meeting of NDA leaders at his residence, Mr. Advani said the protest should compel the “Kumbhakarna-like government” to wake up. Barring some small parties that sided with the UPA, most of the parties were joining the agitation, he said. “This may be the first time in the history of Indian politics that almost all parties will participate in the Bharat Bandh.”
Referring to a newspaper advertisement issued by the Petroleum Ministry, claiming that the price of the domestic LPG cylinder was cheaper in India than in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Mr. Advani said the government conveniently did not compare the prices of petrol and diesel in India with those in the other countries; they were cheaper there.
About the government's claim that the ‘hartal' would not help to bring down the prices of petroleum products, Mr. Advani quipped: “Even we do not claim that prices will come down because of this bandh. The solution lies in the hands of the government. Unfortunately, there is no indication that the government has a solution.”
Keywords: Bharat Bandh, NDA, Left, BJP, CPI(M), CPI, fuel price hike
Wrong way of calling for a bandh as if they really want to do this they should do this without using vehicles.They themselves are showing that if they are having money for petrol for bandh they can easily afford it for other purposes too.
Food and Fuel subsidy are critical factors in our nation to maintain a balanced Finance Budget and it is the pulse of the deficit financing being practiced right from attaining freedom from the British Imperialism. The economy is still under the grip of the ‘global economic slow-down’ though comparatively better when compared with even certain developing nations. Despite showing signs of recovery in in-flow of Capital, the other factors of production is yet to re-stimulate for a big take-off. There will be many a number of political compulsions to deviate from the rigid fastening of economic parameters. Yet, at times, the government has to delink from this doctrine and come out with policies that may exasperate common people.Enhancement of fuel prices will have a vicious circle in putting pressure on common people by squeezing their resources.
The Opposition can put forth the protest in appropriate forums and should have dialogue with the Finance Minister. The GOI and particularly the Finance Minister should also apply caution and respect the Opposition to economic policies and should facilitate avenue for interface with Opposition prior to any reiteration of earlier declarations.
A National Bandh will be nothing but a third-degree torture to our people and the economy. Even the Opposition leaders themselves have rightly commented that the ‘Shutdown” will not be the solution. Then why do they resort to this means to protest?
I wonder why NDA and others can't do anything constructive instead of disrupting the daily routines of the common man whose interests they pretend to safegaurd.
I often wonder why can't these striking parties do anything constructive instead of disrupting the daily life of the common man whose interests they pretend to safeguard.
The Bandh is uncalled and the common man will suffer. The Government is not worried about common man and the prices are not going to be rolled back.
It is common man's fate to suffer !!
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