Left urges traders to make Bharat bandh a success

NEW DELHI: The Left is not only playing footsie with BJP to mobilise adequate numbers for the protest against price rise, but also trying to reach out to the saffron party’s traditional constituency, traders, to join the Bharat bandh on July 5.

Just five days ahead of the bandh called by various Opposition parties, CPI on Wednesday issued an appeal to “vyapar mandals” to support the protest action and make it a success.

“The trading community which plays the vital role of distributing all essential commodities throughout the length and breadth of the country is well aware how rise in prices especially after the decontrol of petrol, diesel etc has led to escalation of transportation costs and therefore distributed to the shooting up of prices of all commodities,” the CPI said in its appeal.

With all essential services like supply of water, milk, electricity, hospital and emergency services to be exempt from the hartal, a traders strike would strengthen the impact of the bandh. Though the BJP is yet to appeal to the traders to back the Bharat bandh, it had forced traders to down shutters during a Delhi bandh late last year in protest against increase in metro and bus fares.

While the Left has roped in parties like the TDP, AIADMK, BJD, JD-S, AGP and Samajwadi Party, it was trying to get in touch with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati. The BSP supremo has remained silent on her stand on the Bharat bandh though the party has announced some protest action in the state on July 6.

The Opposition parties are protesting against the government’s economic policies and demanding roll back of increase in prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG. This is the second time, after the emergency in 1975, that the entire Opposition is ganging up to protest against the ruling regime.

However, there is concern within the Left on the outcome of the strike in hartal-wary Kerala, where the ruling LDF had called a bandh a day after fuel prices were raised. Meanwhile, in West Bengal, the CPM’s trade union wing CITU had called a 24-hour transport strike.