CPI(M) will not call for strike in Buddha’s Bengal

KOLKATA : That West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee isn’t too fond of strikes and bandhs is well known. Not surprisingly, the CPI(M) has no plans to unleash a strike or call a bandh in West Bengal to protest the central hike in petrol and diesel prices. On Wednesday, CPI(M) state secretary and party’s politburo member Biman Bose said, “the party has no plans to go on strike or call a bandh in West Bengal to protest the petrol and diesel price hikes”.

“We want the Congress-led UPA government to roll back its decision on increasing the price of petrol and diesel. But we will not organise a bandh or a strike in our state,” Mr Bose said after a Left Front meeting.

Interestingly, the CPI(M) politburo, the party’s highest decision-making body, has given all state units the freedom to decide on the course of agitation in the backdrop of the recent price hikes. In fact, the politburo has stressed that any state may call a bandh to protest the hike in petrol/diesel prices.

It’s a different matter that the West Bengal government has other ideas, especially at a stage when the state is increasingly becoming more industry-friendly and attracting sizeable foreign investment. It is well known that the state’s progressive chief minister is largely responsible for the industry-friendly overtures which have been welcomed by Indian Inc.

Accordingly, the CPI(M) state leadership has no plans to unleash a wildcat strike which could give wrong signals to industry. However, the central committee of the party will meet in Hyderabad on Tuhursday to discuss among other issues, the rise in petrol and diesel prices.

Mr Bose did announce some agitation-related plans to oppose the central decision. “We will organise protest demonstrations in front of all the oil companies in Kolkata and across the country on June 13 for three hours from 2 pm,” he said.

Campaigns will also be organised at all the markets in the state for four days from June 7. Protest meetings will also be held in front of all industrial units in the state on June 12,’’ he said.

The CPI(M) state secretary felt the Centre could have avoided raising the price of petrol and diesel. ‘’After the hike, a litre of petrol in Kolkata costs Rs 50.90. The Union government collects different taxes which is 57 per cent of Rs 50.90. Once these taxes are deducted, a litre of petrol costs around Rs 22 in Kolkata,” Mr Bose claimed.