Hyderabad, Aug 2 (IANS) Angered by last week’s police firing on their activists that claimed seven lives, the Left parties in Andhra Pradesh decided Thursday to intensify their agitation seeking land for the landless poor.`
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Communist Party of India (CPI) announced the launch of the second phase of ‘bhuporatam’ or land agitation. The two parties along with some small outfits held a joint meeting, where it was decided to that the agitation would be intensified.
“This time we will take our agitation to all corners of the state and the national leaders of the two parties will also participate in it,” said CPI state secretary K. Narayana.
The communist parties have been agitating for the last three months, urging the state government to distribute house sites and land among the poor and landless. In a symbolic protest, the Left activists and several poor people encroached upon government and private plots in several towns and villages, triggering clashes with police.
Seven people were killed and several injured when police opened fire on CPI-M activists at Mudigonda in Khammam district on July 28. The incident triggered massive protest from the Left and the CPI-M demanded resignation of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
The central leadership of the Congress party took a serious note of the incident.
The Left parties are extending crucial outside support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre.
The Congress government in the state has ordered a judicial probe into the police firing and also announced compensation of Rs.500,000 each to the families of those killed, besides a house and a government job.
The Left parties had fought the 2004 elections in alliance with the Congress but turned against the government to protest its “anti-people” policies. CPI-M has moved closer to the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
On the other hand, differences cropped up between CPI-M and CPI over the demand for resignation of the chief minister.
CPI has taken strong exception to the attempts by TDP to hijack the land agitation. “If bourgeoisie parties like TDP lead such movements, it would be embarrassing for the Left parties,” said CPI national secretary and MP S. Sudhakar Reddy.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh High Court Thursday adjourned to Friday the hearing on a petition filed by a TDP leader seeking a thorough probe into the police firing.
The court took serious note of the leak of reports submitted by the Khammam judge and the director general of police.
The principal district judge of Khammam, in his report, reportedly blamed the police for the firing while the director general of police said the policemen had no choice but to open fire as all efforts to pacify the agitators had failed.