India: Nation-wide protests against fuel hike

There have been nationwide protests against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's decision to raise the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) had called for an all-India protest on June 6, and on that day and since, the party has both organised independent protests and joined other left parties in resisting the oil-price hike.

In Delhi on 5 June, immediately after the announcement of the hike in prices, the CPI-ML held a demonstration at which they burnt an effigy of the UPA Government. In Bihar, the CPI-ML, along with other Left parties including Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), called protests on June 10, which resulted in demonstrations at almost all district headquarters.

In Patna alone, six separate, massive contingents comprising more than 2000 people marched on the streets. Over 1000 CPI-ML activists were arrested in Patna, while around 85 activists from CPI and CPI-M were arrested. All national highways were blockaded, as were a number of train routes.

[Abridged from http://asia-pacific-action.org. Visit the site for a full list of protests held, and to read the statement by the CPI-ML.]

From GLW issue 757