The thirteenth state conference of Life Insurance Corporation Agents Organisation of India (LICAOI), West Bengal, was held on September 21-22 at Taki in North 24 Parganas district with a resolve to transform the united movement of all agents, employees, and policyholders into a mass movement to “save LIC”. All India president of the organisation, Basudeb Acharya was present at the conference.

The voices of various delegates of the conference, like Shubra Pal of Sodpur, Sultana Khatun of Airmari village in Murshidabad district, and Kanika Majumdar of Behala, echoed that the organisation must be strengthened at any cost. 

Basudeb Acharya said in the public rally at the ground of the Taki Biblabri Sangh at the beginning of the conference that, “The Central government’s policy of killing people has started to weaken the LIC. We have to take up the challenge of saving LIC. Forty-two crore people in the country are policyholders. We have to save our country. The danger is not only for LIC; we are all in danger.”

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) state secretary Anadi Sahu said that the BJP is ruling the country in the same manner as British-ruled India. “The politics of division is pushing the country to destruction and privatising state-owned enterprises. The unemployment rate is growing. Workers’ safety is decreasing. No social security. Working hours are increasing. The new labour code law must be stopped. If not, the lives of the workers will be in dire danger.”

On the second day of the conference on Thursday, delegates were divided into three groups to discuss the report and discuss the commission’s paper and exchange views. Sushant Samaddar addressed the topic of ‘Life Insurance Corporation, Changed Situation, Responsibilities and Duties of Agents’.

Ishita Mukherjee discussed the ‘Cancel LIC Privatisation Plot’, while Anvika Ganguly discussed the topic of ‘The historical role of women since the dawn of civilisation.’

From the conference, ten resolution was raised, including against LIC disinvestment, saving nationalised industries and saving the country’s economy, cancelling the four labour codes, ensuring social security of LIC agents, full status for women in all fields to build a better society, for better business and better organising, against communalism and separatism, against corruption, fraud and looting, against price hike, protection of the environment for better livelihood, etc.

Two hundred seventy-five delegates from 8 divisions attended the conference. In the discussion, delegates said that there was no alternative but to fight fiercely by taking responsibility from past experience and standing on the ground of reality. The conference resolved to regularly publish the organisation’s mouthpiece ‘Jiwan Barta’, and hold education camps.

CITU North 24 Parganas district secretary Gargi Chatterjee, former MP Nepaldeb Bhattacharya, and the zonal secretary of the organisation, Manoranjan Sarkar, gave congratulatory speeches.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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After 14 days, Communist Party of India (Marxist) central committee member Avash Roy Chowdhury and other party workers got interim bail. On August 31, 46 CPI(M) leaders and activists, including Roy Choudhury, were arrested in East Burdwan during the law violation program ‘Chor Dhoro Jail Bharo’ called by the Left parties to protest recruitment scams and alleged corruption of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

After being released on conditional bail yesterday, Avash Roy Chowdhury said, “The fight for the bread and sustenance of the common people and against the terrible corruption of TMC and BJP, the Left’s protest will continue. As people’s participation in our movement increases, the attacks on us increase. We are on the road. We will continue this fight.”

“The people of the state have seen how the police attacked people with tear gas, batons and water cannons without provocation on the day of law disobedience on August 31. The ongoing struggle over people’s demands and the corruption of BJP and TMC will take a bigger shape in the coming days. People have clearly understood what is white and what is black,” Roy Chowdhury added.

After being released on bail, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Anirban Roychowdhury said, “The left-wing student movement cannot be suppressed by detaining an Anirban. The Chief Minister’s Police has made SFI more relevant in the entire state by detaining me unjustly.”

Earlier, some people were granted bail, but 31 people were detained. On this day, justice Chanda Hasmat granted conditional bail to the remaining 31 activists. After the bail, All India Lawyers Union (AILU) leaders Pradeep Aich and Kamal Dutta said, “We have faith in the law. The legal battle will continue against how the accused have been framed in false cases.”

On August 31, two cases were filed against left activists for violating the law. The complainant of one of them was Burdwan Police Station IC, Sukhmoy Chakraborty. Another complaint was made by a TMC worker.

Based on the complaint of the IC of Burdwan police station, a false case was filed against the CPI(M) workers in several categories of obstructing government employees from work, beating, theft, vandalism, abuse, attempted murder, and vandalism of government property, complaints CPIM.

On August 31, East Burdwan became a battleground around the Left’s ‘law disobedience’ program. The Curzon Gate square became heated due to the clash of leftist leaders and activists with the police. The Vishwabangla logo was removed, and barricades were demolished. Later, the police started the lathi charge on the procession of CPI(M) workers-supporters near Curzon Gate before detaining them.

From the spot, CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim complained, “The police did not follow any protocol. We told the police that people get angry when they see you. They also provoked us and then began attacking us with lathis. This government doesn’t understand the people’s mood.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Nagarik Samanway Manch, a citizens’ organization, staged a protest on Wednesday demanding immediate cancellation of the coal mining project proposed by the West Bengal government in Deucha-Panchami. With this demand, Civil society members marched from Sealdah to Kolkata Municipality.

Hundreds of tribals from Deucha Panchami also participated in this protest. At the rally, they raised slogans saying — “Stop Deucha Pachami coal mine, remove corporates from our forest-land.”

Members of the civil society alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed in several public rallies about respecting all communities, including tribals. However, during Banerjee’s tenure, the people of tribal communities have been neglected and deprived of their rights.

On Wednesday, Nagarik Manch marched with this complaint against the government. They protested by playing a Dhamsa Madal in front of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Their main allegation is that the government is illegally occupying land and forests in the name of coal mining, and the possession of all these lands is going into the hands of industrialists like Adanis. They said the common people do not want this possession and the government should do what the citizens want. 

After the march ended, the agitators held a rally. The leader of West Bengal Adivasi Adhikar Manch, Debalena Hembram, tribal leader Lakshikant Hansda, member of Nagarika Sahandya Manch Anisur Rahman, lawyer Shamim Ahmed and others spoke at the rally. Ratan Hembram, Jaba Murmu, Kokila Murmu and others from Deucha Panchami also spoke.

The keynote address of the leaders at the rally was that even after 75 years of independence, many marginalized people, including the Scheduled Tribes, the oldest inhabitants of the country, are still living a subjugated life. They have to repeatedly fight for water, forest and land rights across the state and the country. Although the Constitution includes various rights laws for them, they are not getting the benefits of those laws.

Leaders complain that even though the government has started extracting coal from the mine, there has been no environmental impact assessment or public hearing for the project so far. Most of the tribals claimed to not have received compensation yet.

The Deucha-Panchami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga coal block is the second largest coal block in the world and the largest in India. Estimates show that around 20,000 people will be displaced due to the project.

Apart from opposing the coal mining project on Deutcha Panchami, the Nagrik Samanway Manch also protested against corruption in the appointment of teachers and the killing of student leader Anish Khan.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Thousands of tribal men and women protested in front of the Birbhum District Magistrate’s office in West Bengal’s Siuri on Monday demanding the cancellation of the coal mining project proposed by the state government in Deucha-Pachami.

At the protest, they raised the slogan, “We will not leave our forest and our land. We will not let it become a coal mine.”

The indigenous people of 36 local villages from Deucha-Pachami area have been protesting for the last eight months demanding the cancellation of the coal mine project. The protesters have been on a relay hunger strike in Baromesia’s Dangal since February 20. Finally, the tribals came to the city and demonstrated in front of the DM’s office. They also submitted a memorandum to Birbhum DM Bidhan Roy.

On Monday afternoon, there was heavy rain in Siuri and people outside were running in search of a shelter. However, thousands of tribal men, women and youth, who have walked for about 20 kilometres, stayed put and raised slogans in front of the DM’s office. The slogans from their protest demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and said, “Tribals no longer need Mamata’s government.”

The protest was led by local tribal leader Teresa Soren. Expressing anger against the state government, he said, “Today, the government is very careful of the tribals! We don’t need this. We are tribals, this land is ours, and this forest is also ours. We will not leave this land and forest under any circumstances.”

A protesting woman said, “No one in the hills wants coal mining. We are being threatened by the police for protesting. We will see to the end of this fight.”

The agitators have said that they will continue a mass hunger strike until the project is cancelled.

Another leader of the movement, Ganesh Kisku, who submitted the memorandum to the District Magistrate, said, “Our main demand is to immediately cancel this open-pit coal mining project.” He further said, “The Chief Minister announced from a Trinamool Congress event on July 21 that coal mining has started on Deucha Panchami. Around 75% people in this area don’t want mining. With whose permission did this mining work start?”

Birbhum District Magistrate Bidhan Roy said, “The demands of the tribals will be conveyed to the proper place. The mining work has started after talking to the locals.”

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Vigyan Manch has raised questions about the survey work on the proposed coal mining project on Deucha-Pachami land. The organisation said, “There was supposed to be an eight-stage survey. The third phase survey has just been completed. In this way, based on some preliminary surveys, administrative work has started, and various government announcements are being made. It is not only creating confusion, but it is a very anti-scientific movement. Government should immediately stop this extremely unscientific action.”

A statement by the West Bengal Science Forum states, “Geological survey said that the Brahmani-Birbhum region has many apparent faults. The use of explosives for excavation may activate the faults and make the area earthquake prone.”

The Deucha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga coal block is the second largest coal block in the world and the largest in India. Estimates show that around 20,000 people will be displaced due to the project.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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