Samyukt Kisan Morcha to observe May 26 as 'Black Day' for Indian democracy

Hyderabad: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has given a call to observe May 26 as a Black Day for Indian Democracy.On this day the Narendra Modi headed BJP-led NDA Government took oath of office in 2014 and then again on May 30 in 2019.

May 26 is the day when the Chalo Dilli Kisan Andolan completes 6 months. It is also the day when the All India Strike called by the Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on their continued demands for cash transfer to poor families, universally free rations to all needy, expansion of MGNREGA and new employment scheme for urban areas, against privatisation of PSUs and government departments, for scraping NPS and restoration of earlier pension scheme etc., becomes six-month-old.

In a statement by the joint platform of 10 CTUs --- INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations on Thursday said the call to observe that day as a Black Day is because the Modi Government that has been in office continuously for the past seven years has not only failed to deliver on the tall promises made while assuming office, but is actually acting against the wishes of the toiling people with impunity.

The statement said the NDA government is also acting in a blatantly irresponsible manner in the face of the terrible second wave of the Corona pandemic, all on the basis of a brute majority in the Lok Sabha.

The Centre has simply disowned its responsibility in tackling the Corona pandemic and asked the states to provide the medical help to the bewildered population: shortages of vaccine doses, oxygen, hospital beds, even cremation facilities are alarming, with irresponsible announcements of vaccinating 18-44 age group, only to be withdrawn subsequently, which shows that the Government is completely in the dark about what needs to be done in this hour of grave crisis.

There is criminal negligence on the part of NDA Government towards frontline fighters of this dreaded virus, the leaders of CTUs alleged.

The Government is actually using the pandemic period to push through legislations that are tailored only for the benefit of the Corporates, be it the three Farm Laws or the 4 Labour Codes or privatisation of everything in the Government or Public Sector such as Railways, Port and dock assets, coal where more than 500 blocks were identified to be auctioned and over 40 were auctioned and of which, 39 went to Adani, Medanta groups.

The CTUs statement said six airports were sold on throw away prices to private players. All production units in Defence and Railways to be corporatized, banks, insurance and even retail opened to foreign direct investement, BPCL, MTNL, Steel, mineral mines and several other public sector undertakings on radar. NITI Aayog has identified 100 such undertakings to be monetized, a new term coined for privatisation/sale of these undertakings.

It is the toiling people in the unorganised sector, including migrant workers, who need life saving support in terms of food grains, cash subsidy and employment. It is the duty of the Government to mobilise resources for this gigantic task using FCI stocks, taxing the rich, insuring frontline fighter, providing funds for MGREGA, bringing in similar employment guarantee scheme for urban areas and so on.The Government has become paralytic on all these fronts, the statement added.(UNI)