Left takes out rally for drought relief

Anantapur: CPI and CPM have embarked on a massive demonstration in support of the drought-stricken farmers in Rayalaseema and other coastal districts due to failure of monsoon.

Dubbed as ‘Rythu Kavathu,’ the party workers and farmers participated in large numbers in the demonstration for highlighting the severe drought ruling the roost in Rayalaseema districts particularly Anantapur and Nellore and Prakasam districts.

Addressing the farmers, state secretaries of CPI and CPM, K Ramakrishna and P Madhu, have lambasted the state and central governments for their indifference towards the drought-hit farmers of six districts.

The Left leaders warned that the time has come for the people of the country and the state to show the door to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Ramakrishna said that drought conditions are severe in Anantapur and five other districts. During the past four-and-a-half years of TDP rule as many as 407 farmers had committed suicides.

The massive response to the demonstration in the city is a reflection of the severity of drought conditions, he maintained. If the BJP leaders have any love for AP state, they should prevail upon the centre to implement the AP Reorganisation Act in toto.

Training his guns on the Chief Minister, Ramakrishna said that the joint struggle by CPI, CPM and the Jana Sena would continue until the Naidu government announced a package for the distressed farmers. If necessary Pawan Kalyan too would come here and agitate, he added.

Madhu said that the YSRCP is not the only alternative in the state, the third front comprising of CPI, CPM and the Jana Sena are the third alternate. He dubbed the TDP and the YSRCP as birds of the same feather. He predicted that the TDP and the BJP would be sent home by the people soon.

Speaking on the severity of the drought conditions, Madhu said that farmers in Anantapur, Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam districts were reeling under drought and many of them are migrating to metro cities for work.

The government had failed to clear the dues of Rs 30 crore of NREGS wages in the district. He said that the Prime Minister is playing cheap politics by denying the backward districts the development fund promised under the AP Reorganisation Act. Local CPI district secretary Jagadish, city secretary Jaffer and others participated in the agitation.