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Left activists hold rally against liberalisation policies

Staff Correspondent

Call for Statewide strike on February 3

SHIMLA: Left activists belonging to different trade unions held a massive rally at the Ice Skating Rink grounds here on Thursday to voice their protest against the Government's economic liberalisation policies. Centre of Indian Trade Unions leader and Rajya Sabha member Dipankar Mukerjee was the main speaker.

Leaders from CITU, Kisan Sabha, All-India Democratic Women's Association, Anganwari Workers, Democratic Youth Federation of India, Students' Federation of India and Jan Vigyan Morcha also addressed the rally. State CPI (M) secretary Rakesh Singha described it as one of the biggest Left rallies so far in the hill State.

The Leftist organisations have formed a "Him Lok Morcha" to fight the Government's liberalisation policy, privatisation and the contractual system of employment policies . They have now called for a Statewide strike on February 3 in protest against these policies.The speakers stressed that the effects of these policies, which were earlier pursued by the NDA regime, had started disturbing the people in this poor hill State too. "Farmers have started committing suicide and even some students have hanged themselves in frustration after denying employment opportunities."

"The educative mode needs to be changed into agitation modes in this environment," said People's Science activists who have joined the Lok Morcha for the first time. Mr. Mukerjee cautioned the UPA Government to stop blatant privatisation, make the Anganwari workers permanent and fill up the vacant Government posts.

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Left activists hold rally against liberalisation policies

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