Diglipur, Dec. 13: CPI (M) Diglipur Area Committee has organized a Mass Dharna on 12^th December, 2023 afternoon in front of the Assistant Commissioner’s office at Diglipur on various issues of people of North Andaman. Party leaders and workers of Diglipur area participated in the programme which was led by AVA Samad, Sunil Bepari, Dilip Karmakar, KP Paul, Anil Halder and Abhiram Mazumdar. The issues highlighted during the programme are (1) failure of BJP government in completing the NH4 work (2) repair/renovation of rural roads in North Andaman, (3) proper and sufficient drinking water to the people of North Andaman (4) to create job for unemployed youth, (5) to make available fertilizers, seeds, etc. to farmers at reasonable prices, etc.

On completion of the mass dharna, a procession was taken out in the Diglipur bazaar which culminated in a public meeting. Addressing the public meeting at Diglipur bazaar, D. Ayyappan, Secretary, CPI (M) State Organising Committee and Vice President, CITU State Committee accused the BJP government at the centre of pushing the country to poverty, unemployment and widening inequality between the poor and rich during the 9 ½ years of BJP rule. He said that the BJP is going ahead with its privatization-spree. Banking, insurance, railway, oil companies, coal and airports and sea-ports are in the process of privatization. He said that the BJP government has utterly failed to create any new job for the youth of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Ayyappan termed the renovation work of NH4/ATR the biggest ever corruption in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and reiterated the CPI (M)’s demand for a CBI investigation into it.  He said that corruption is increasing in Andaman & Nicobar Islands under the BJP rule. The BJP which was criticizing the Congress party while in opposition before 2014 is now silent on corruption.  While the ED, Income Tax, CBI, etc. are being used to silence the leaders in the opposition ruled states, no such agency is visible in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  People in the Islands know the corrupt practices of many of the leaders of BJP and Congress. 

Addressing the public meeting, Sunil Bepari, President, CITU Diglipur Zonal Committee explained the injustice meted out to the people of North Andaman under the BJP rule. He criticized the central government and Administration for terming the regular nature of work in the Forest Department as seasonal work and rotating the daily rated mazdoors after every 6 months to deny them the benefit of 1/30^th of pay plus DA.  Speaking on the occasion, All India Kisan Sabha leader Dilip Karmakar briefly explained the difficulties being faced by the farmers in North Andaman. He said that farmers are not getting the reasonable price for the agriculture products.  Farmers are not being given any kind of assistance and benefits by the government.