Farmers, labourers protest Centre’s anti-people policies in Mandi, HP

Thousands of farmers and labourers organised a protest against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led central government’s anti-people policies in Mandi on Wednesday.

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In Jogindernagar sub-division, Kisan Sabha district president Kushal Bhardwaj, led the protest wherein the anganwadi workers (AWWs) and helpers (AWHs), mid-day meal workers’ union, water carrier union and many other trade unions, employees’ organisations and student and youth organisations participated in the procession from Ram Lila Maidan to the subdivisional magistrate’s (SDM) office despite heavy rains and also held a public meeting.

Protestors shouted slogans against the central and state BJP government and raised issues such as dilapidated roads, shortage of buses, out break of other wild animals and stray animals, monkey menace and non-availability of work under Mahatma Gandhi National Employee Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

During the ptrotest, Bhardwaj said, “The Modi-led government at the centre has failed on every front. The inflation has risen wildly; people have lost their jobs duse to demonatisation and GST and every section of the society is suffering due to wrong policies of this government.”

He said that all the promises of the Prime Minister have proved to be false. “Now ‘India is for sale’ as the Modi-led government is handing over public properties including country’s airports, ports, railways, oil and gas reserves and many other public sector units (PSUs) to few capitalists,” he said.

Left parties rally Hamirpur to protest Centre policies

Braving the chill and incessant rain, hundreds of workers of the Left parties, mostly women, marched through the town’s main bazaar on Wednesday, to protest the anti-people policies of the Centre. Led by comrade Joginder Kumar, the agitating workers carried placards and banners in their hands.

The procession started from hospital chowk and ended at Gandhi chowk where protesters slammed the Centre for anti-people policies, which they said even the labour organisations of BJP were against. They also handed over a memorandum to dist authorities demanding an end to such policies.

Shops, business establishments and transport services, however, continued to function as usual.