Left parties hit street against price rise

NEW DELHI: The Left’s much-touted price rise protest may have come too late in the day. Even as Left leaders raised their anti-government rhetoric blaming policies for price rise, prices of several essential commodities showed a downward trend.

The agitation, which was planned at a Left meeting earlier this month, was cut short by three days after the Mumbai blasts. The price rise scenario changed in the past two weeks with the government recently announcing a decline in prices of wheat and pulses, but the Left went ahead with its protests against ‘skyrocketing’ prices of essential commodities.

Left leaders took to the streets here on Wednesday batting for ‘aam admi’ issues, which will re-echo in Parliament next week. All set to intensify its policy skirmishes with the Manmohan Singh government, the Left is making a list of ‘people’s issues’ to be raised during the monsoon session.

Besides price rise, the Left’s agenda includes PDS, food security and implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Left is also planning to seek a discussion in Parliament on workers rights.

Alleging that the UPA was toeing policies of the NDA regime, the Left leaders blamed price rise of essential commodities on policies of the government. In fact, CPM politburo member Brinda Karat described Congress and price rise as ‘old friends’ and a ‘holy alliance’.

The Left wants the Government to stop forward trading in essential commodities, take action against hoarders and reverse amendments to the Essential Commodities Act carried out under the NDA regime.

Demanding a complete roll-back in increase in prices of petroleum products, the Left accused the UPA of breaking promises made in the CMP and failing to meet people’s expectations.

CPI’s D Raja demanded that the Public Distribution System be strengthened and said the Government had been a ‘total failure’ as far as food security was concerned. Even as the Left confronts the Government on the direction of its economic policies in Parliament, the trade unions are meeting on July 25 to decide strategy against the UPA.

The trade unions are likely to go in for a nation-wide strike in protest against the economic policies.