Cover Feature
In Petlad, one of the main centres in Anand district of Gujarat, All India Agricultural Labour Association (AIALA) organised a rally and held a mass meeting on the occasion of International Workers’ Day. Petlad is known for its dairy products and rich tobacco cultivation. This was the first ever May Day rally in Anand district and for that matter May Day is always observed at a low key in Gujarat because the same day the government observes as ‘Gujarat Day’ with all fanfare.
On the May Day this year, while the Modi government was observing ostentatious “Gujarat Vaibhav” (Gujarat Splendour), working people assembled under the banner of AIALA vowed to continue the struggle against their marginalisation under the feudal-capitalist rule. The rally raised the demands for a central law for agrarian labourers, free water and electricity for poor peasants, pension and housing scheme for the poor unorganised workers, implementation of minimum wages at the rate of Rs.91.50 in the state, etc. Young comrades had a significant presence in the rally.
May Day was observed by the Party throughout the West Bengal . Flag hoisting, homage to martyrs, discussions regarding the relevance of May Day in the present context etc. were some of the programmes observed. The state conference of AICCTU was held on the same day. On May Day, a rally against hunger was organised by "DABI MANCH", a workers’ forum including AICCTU, Nagarik Manch and other organisations. The workers of closed industries participated in this rally.
In New Delhi , AICCTU organised a May Day rally jointly with CITU, AITUC and other unions.
In Patna , an impressive May Day rally was organised by AICCTU. Large number of government employees and unorganised workers attended the rally. The rally focused on starvation deaths in the state of Bihar and demanded urgent measures on a war footing to alleviate the problems of the starving rural poor