Hundreds of activists of Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a militant protest demonstration in front of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Shimla on March 31. Similar such protests were held throughout the state right from Poanta Sahib in the eastern part of the state to Chamba and from Kinnaur to Una. Strong demonstrations were held in Mandi, Kullu, Hamirpur, Solan, Nahan,Una, Kangra, Dharamshala, Baijnath, Joginder Nagar and several other Tehsil headquarters. In one voice the demonstrations asked for action against the erring Police officials who beat up the students in Police Station and broke the CPI (M) office. The foremost demand also was for a judicial probe into the whole incident.
In Shimla a procession was taken out from the Cart Road and culminated in Vidhan Sabha Gherao which was then converted into a protest meeting. This meeting was addressed by Dr. Onkar Shad, State Secretary CPI (M), Rakesh Singha, Party Central Committee member, Tikender Panwar State Secretariat Member, Kishori Datwalia, Local Committee member and Rajan Harta, Student Leader. The speakers lambasted the state Government for planning the entire game plan to cow down the voices of dissension. They warned the state govt. that such tactics will not work and shall boomerang on the government itself. The Virbhadra Singh Govt. has completely failed to come to the expectations of the people and instead is following a neo-liberal paradigm not only in economic policies but also in governance. This is reflected in the phenomenal increase in fees, banning the student’s Union elections and helping the Jaypee company in Kinnaur to completely ruin the ecological environment and not acceding to the demands of agitating workmen. The speakers further condemned the ghastly attack on Rakesh Singha whuch he narrowly escaped. It is shocking that the police two was involved in this act which smacks of deep rooted connivance in between the state Govt. and Jaypee Company.
The party has cautioned that if the government fails to institute a judicial probe into the whole incident CPI (M) will resort to direct action.
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