In response to a call for a State-wide online protest condemning the failure of the State and Union governments in managing the health crisis and demanding immediate steps to protect the lives of citizens, members of various Left and democratic fronts staged a protest in their houses in Dharwad district on Tuesday.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist (SUCI-C) and Swaraj India jointly organised the protest with their members taking part in the protest in their respective localities and houses.
The protestors held placards condemning what they said apathy of the State and Union governments in managing the second wave of the pandemic. They demanded universal vaccination programme, timely supply of medicine and treatment, direct benefit transfer to bank accounts of beneficiaries, free distribution of pulses, cereals and edible oil.
The protestors, including office-bearers of various Left and democratic fronts, including Ramanjanappa Aldalli (SUCI-C), Mahesh Pattar, B.S. Soppin, Devanand Jagapur and Nagappa Undi, and others also demanded the fulfilment of 16 demands, including repeal of anti-farmer and anti-labour laws, increase in the number of mandays under MGNREGA to 200 days and extension of the scheme to urban areas and security for COVID-19 warriors and others.
Apart from the office-bearers, members of the organisations and like-minded people took part in the agitation in their respective houses and residential localities.
The participants also condemned the continuation of the Central Vista project of the Union government at a time when crores of people were facing hardships, shortage of vaccination and medicine and inadequate healthcare facilities. They said that those in power lacked the will power to help the needy.
