THOUGH the union budget has directly hit the common man, the statements from major Dravidian parties welcoming the budget has come as a shock, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary G Ramakrishnan at Madurai on July 14. Presiding over a demonstration jointly held by the CPI(M) and the CPI as part of a state-wide agitation against the first budget of the BJP led government, he said the rail fare increase of 14 per cent was announced even before the railway budget. The government did not stop with that. In the general budget, the finance minister had chosen to encourage more FDI participation in key areas like defence. Similarly, the move to privatise banks and insurance sector was bound to affect the masses in the long run. The BJP had promised to introduce people-friendly measures during electioneering, but such a ‘U’ turn had only exposed its true face and colour. When political parties like the CPI (M) and the CPI had opposed it tooth and nail, the AIADMK, DMK, MDMK, PMK and the DMDK have hailed the budget. This has raised doubts over their commitment to the common man, G Ramakrishnan said, and charged that the BJP was simply following the Congress. Later, in a brief interaction with reporters, he demanded a CBI probe into Chennai Moulivakkam building collapse in which 61 lives were lost. Only a central agency’s investigation would unravel the nexus among officials, politicians and builders, he added. 'DEATH MERCHANTS' In Chennai, the Left parties have organised a huge demonstration on the same day. Here, D Pandian, CPI state secretary and A Soundararajan, Central Committee member of the CPI(M) led the protest. While addressing the protest, referring to the opening-up of the defence and insurance sectors for the FDI, D Pandian said," the Modi government is ready to host a big feast for the foreign capitalists, who are the real merchants of death, as a good feast is given in our tradition for the bridegroom". The protest against the anti-people announcements in the general budget as well as the railway budgets were held at various cities including Coimbatore, Thirunelveli, Salem, Erode, Dindugul, Tiruppur and Thanjavur and across the state. HUGE PROTESTS IN NAGAPATTINAM Responding to the call of the CPI(M), nearly ten thousand people including more than 3500 women participated in a programme in Nagapattinam district, demanding various measures to be taken relating to the hitting drought situation. The sit-in protest held in front of all 12 Block Development offices in the district was held on July 22. Farmers, agricultural workers, who staged blockade in the premises of the government offices demanded declaration of delta districts, particularly tail-end areas, as drought-hit and demanded adequate compensation. V Marimuthu, ex-MLA and state committee member of the Party who led the protest at Nagapattinam, said the government should compensate farmers and farm-wage labourers for the loss incurred due to water scarcity and crop failure. The CPI(M) has demanded that farmers should be given Rs10,000 per acre and farm wage labourers Rs 3,000 per month compensation during the distress. The protesters also demanded that wage days under MNREGA be increased from 100 to 150 days. Alleging that some panchayats have not disbursed wages under the job scheme, farmers demanded that wage be given to workers on a weekly basis. The demonstrators also demanded immediate dredging of water bodies. Old age pension too had not reached several eligible beneficiaries, Marimuthu said. Due to lack of work, farm labourers have to travel to far off places in search of jobs. Hence, additional buses must be operated during mornings and evenings to help these labourers find jobs, AV Murugaian, district secretary of the Party said. Drinking water scarcity was another problem which haunts villages and authorities must take steps to address the issue immediately, he said. He said that though the government declared Nagapattinam as drought-hit during 2012-13, no relief has been received yet. The protests in Keezhvelur were led by district secretary of CPI (M) AV Murugayyan, in Keezhayur by the MLA Nagai Maali and other leaders. Nearly 5000 people were arrested in these programmes across the district.