RESPONDING to the call given by Left parties for nationwide protest actions against the widespread violence, terror and rigging in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal and demanding repoll in all the affected booths, protest demonstrations and dharnas were held in various state capitals and district headquarters across the country on May 14, 2014. WEST BENGAL IN response to the call given by the West Bengal Left Front Committee against the ineffectiveness of the Election Commission in checking large scale violence and poll malpractices resorted to by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the last three phases of polls in West Bengal, protests were held throughout the state. In Howrah a huge procession started from the Howrah Maidan and ended near Shibpur Tram Depot. The procession was led by state Left Front chairman and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose, CPI(M) Central Committee member Madan Ghosh, and state secretariat members Rabin Deb and Dipak Dasgupta. Before the commencement of the march, the CPI(M)’s Howrah district secretary read out a condolence resolution in memory of martyr Bela Dey, who succumbed to her injuries on May 13. Belay Dey was attacked at Kalyani during the last phase of the elections. Similar protests were also organised at different places in in Howrah --- Nuntia in Bagnan, Shyampukur more, Amta Dharapara, Fatepur bus stand, Jhikhira, Gajipur Hattala, Basantapur, Gorughanta More to Uluberia station, Fortglaster Gate at Bauria, Changai Ladlo Jute Mill, Panchala, Domjur, Andul bas stand, Sankarile Chanpatala, and at truck terminal of Dhulogare. In Kolkata a meeting was held at Khidirpur in the middle of the road after people blocked the road. Separately, a procession was taken out from Asbestos More of Garden Reach. Electricity employees took out a huge procession from Victoria House in Central Kolkata. Another huge procession traversed through South Kolkata, beginning from Kalighat. It passed through Rashbehari, Alipore, Bhawanipore before finally culminating at 8B Bus Stand in Jadavpur. It was led by Dr Sujan Chakraborty, South 24 Parganas district secretary, and the CPI(M) candidate from Jadavpur. In Burdhaman, a massive procession was taken out from the CPI(M) district office to the Curzon Gate. It was led by CPI(M) district secretary Amal Halder and other Left Front leaders. Another big demonstration was held in Durgapur. Protest rallies and demonstrations were also organised in different places in Purba Medinipur district. People in large numbers participated in the protests held at Haldia, Mahishadal, Tamluk, Panskura, Marichda, Egra and other places. Similarly, protest rallies and demonstrations were held in Midnapur town, Chaipart of Daspur, Ghantal town, Inda More of Kharagpur, Panchrulia More of Kharagpur Gramin-1, Changuyala of Kharagpur Gramin-2, Debra, Radhamohanpur, Sabang, Narayangarh, Khushrai, Keshiari, Jhargram, etc of Paschim Medinipur district. In 24 Parganas, huge protest rallies were organised. People in large numbers participated in the programmes held in Barasat, Madhyamgram, Nagerbazar of Dum Dum, Panihati, New Barrackpore, Birathi, Minakha, Baguiati, Deshbandhu Nagar, Narayanpur, Banga, Baranagar B T Road, Salt Lake, Bhatapara, Bashirhat, Hanshnabad, Hingalgunge, Sandeshkhali, etc. In the district of Hooghly, demonstrations were held in Uttarpara, Banshberia, Sahkerbazar, Rishra Panchanantala, Srirampur Battala, Naga More, Baidyabati, Paltaghat of Chanpdani, Bhadreshar Baburbazar, Chandarnagar, Chanchura, Banshberia of Tribeni, Jirat, Haripal, Chanditala and other places where people participated in large numbers. TRIPURA THE attack on the democratic rights of people and the massive rigging of votes in West Bengal is nothing but a clear expression of the fact that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lost faith in the people. However, Tripura will always stand in solidarity with the people of West Bengal in their struggle to safeguard and restore their rights. This was the message that has came out from the protest actions all over the state of Tripura at the call of the Left parties against the large scale rigging and violence resorted to by the TMC in West Bengal. Protest meetings were held at almost all the district headquarters in Tripura on May 14. In Agartala, the state capital, a militant protest march started from the CPI(M)’s Sadar divisional committee office and culminated in a public meeting at Paradise Chowmohani. Here CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar, state secretariat member Gautam Das and district committee secretary Samar Adhya were the speakers. Bijan Dhar said barely three years back the TMC had assumed office in West Bengal but it is evident that this government has immersed itself deep in corruption in only this much time. People have seen through their empty claims of development. The TMC leaders were therefore afraid that free and fair elections could have meant an electoral disaster for them. That is why numerous episodes of unprecedented rigging and violence were engineered on the polling day. A reign of semi-fascist terror has been imposed on Bengal. But the demon that came out of bottle in West Bengal three years back will have to be again locked in the bottle, and it is the responsibility of the people of whole country to aid the fighting masses of Bengal in this task, Dhar added. Gautam Das said the constitutional and democratic rights of the people are under heavy attack in West Bengal today. Women are not safe and a state of anarchy is prevailing there.   KERALA ON the same day, all the district headquarters in Kerala witnessed militant protest actions against the Trinamool Congress’ attack on democracy in West Bengal. Thousands of people gathered in all the centres to register protest against the attacks on the Left Front workers in West Bengal. The protest marches were organised at the call of the all-India leaderships of the Left parties. In Thiruvananthapuram, CPI(M) state committee  member M Vijyakumar inaugurated the march, and LDF district convener Gangadharan Nadar presided over the meeting. A Sampath, MP, R Satish Kumar and Venugopal Uzhamalakkal were among the speakers. TAMILNADU THE CPI(M) and the CPI jointly organised demonstrations across Tamilnadu in response the call of the Left parties, condemning the terror raj of the TMC in West Bengal. In Chennai, both the North and South Chennai district committees of the Left parties organised a huge protest demonstration at the Cheppak government guest house. K Bhimrao, CPI(M) MLA from Maduravoyal, presided over the meeting that followed. CPI(M) Central Committee members A Soundararjan and P Sampath, CPI leaders M Veerapandian, M Sampath and Ezhumalai and others addressed the protestors. Hundreds of cadres of the Left parties held protest demonstrations also in Madurai, Coimbatore, Thirunelveli, Tiruchi and various centres across the state. ANDHRA PRADESH IN Hyderabad, hundreds of people marched through the streets. Led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu and members of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana state secretariats, the procession started from RTC Crossroads and culminated in a meeting at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram. Addressing the protestors, Raghavulu said the unprecedented scale of violence and rigging on polling days was a blot on our democracy. He demanded that the EC must order repoll in all the booths that were blatantly captured by TMC goons. The rally was also addressed by CPI(M) AP state secretariat member Y Venkateshwara Rao, and CPI(M) Telangana state secretariat members S Malla Reddy and Ch Sitaramulu. JHARKHAND AT the call of the Left parties to observe Protest Day on May 14, 2014, actions were organised in different districts of Jharkhand state, including Ranchi, the capital city. A procession from the CPI(M) state committee office in Ranchi moved through the main thoroughfares and culminated in a meeting at the Albert Ekka Chowk, where an effigy of the TMC government led by Ms Mamata Banerjee was burnt. CPI(M) state committee secretary G K Baksi, state secretariat members Prakash Viplav and Prafull Linda, state committee members Sufal Mahto and Sukhnath Lohra, state CPI assistant secretary K D Singh, Jayanta Kumar Pandey of the All India Forward Bloc, Sanjay Sahay (president of the Ranchi city committee of Janata Dal United), Bina Linda and Renu Prakash of the All India Democratic Women’s Association led the procession. Addressing the masses at the Albert Ekka Chowk, the leaders condemned the heinous attacks on the democratic system by the ruling Trinamool Congress in connivance with the entire state machinery and police to manipulate the elections. The speakers opined that the Election Commission had been unable to intervene effectively during the poll process, even though there were enough forewarnings about what was about to come. The protestors demanded that the Election Commission should intervene urgently to restore the condition for free and fair polls and that repoll must be conducted under strict supervision of the Election Commission in all the affected areas during the last three rounds of polling, in order to protect the sanctity of the democratic process. Protest actions were also organised at different district and block headquarters including Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh and Loherdaga. Detailed reports from various districts are awaited. PUNJAB THE CPI(M) and CPI jointly organised protest demonstrations all over Punjab against the rigging and booth capturing during the last three phases of the 16th Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress goons let lose terror against the cadres and leaders of the CPI(M) and other Left Front parties, while the security forces remained silent spectators. Ironically, the Election Commission of India also failed in its bounden duty. In Chandigarh, a protest demonstration was jointly organised by the CPI(M) and CPI in Sector 17 Plaza. The CPI(M)’s state secretary Charan Singh Virdi and the CPI’s National Council member Bhupinder Samber led the protest march. Many state and district level leaders and workers of the two parties participated in the protest march. A memorandum was submitted to the ECI . At Ropar, hundreds of CPI(M) and CPI workers took out a protest march through the main bazaars of the city. They were demanding immediate arrest of the Trinamool Congress goons who attacked and fired at CPI(M) workers in West Bengal during the Lok Sabha elections. Raghunath Singh, CPI(M) state secretariat member, while addressing the rally, condemned the incidents of booth capturing and rigging of elections by TMC goons. He also demanded repoll in the booths which were captured by TMC men. A memorandum was submitted to the Election Commission of India. The protesters also burnt the effigy of West Bengal chief minister Ms Mamata Banerjee. At Tarntaran, a massive demonstration was organised by the two left parties jointly. CPI(M) district secretary Devinder Jit Singh Dhillon and CPI district secretary Tara Singh Khaira, besides other leaders, addressed the protesters. They demanded immediate arrest of the TMC goons who attacked CPI(M) cadres and workers. They also demanded repoll in the booths which were rigged and captured by TMC goons. They condemned the security forces and elections authorities for their indifferent attitude. At Hoshiarpur, a big demonstration was held was organised to protest against the brutal attacks on CPI(M) workers by TMC goons in West Bengal during the Lok Sabha elections. CPI(M), state secretariat member Gurmesh Singh, while addressing the protesters, demanded repoll in the booths which were captured by TMC workers with police patronage during the last three phases of the polling. He also demanded the arrest of the lumpen elements who indulged in booth capturing and brutal attacks on leaders and workers of the Left parties. In Ghanaur town, the DYFI unit organised a massive protest demonstration, led by its tehsil secretary Vijay Pal, state leader Charan Jit Singh Mandoli, Jaspal Ghanaur and other leaders. Similar reports were received from all over Punjab which show that there existed great resentment against the goondaism of the TMC and against the police and election authorities. UTTAR PRADESH IN Uttar Pradesh a joint protest action was organised by the CPI(M) and the CPI in Lucknow. A procession was taken out from the CPI(M) office, which marched to the Vidhan Sabha. Here the protesters were addressed by CPI(M) state Secretary S P Kashyap and CPI district secretary Mohd Khalid. HARYANA JOINT protest demonstrations were held in various districts of Haryana. Workers belonging to the CPI(M) and CPI assembled in Chhotu Ram Park at Rohtak and took out a procession. At the meeting which followed, CPI(M) state secretary Inderjit Singh and others condemned the violence perpetrated by the TMC in Bengal. Protest actions were organised also in Fatehabad, Tohana, Hisar, Jind Faridabad, Gurgaon, Panipat, Karnal, Sonipat, Mewat, Bhiwani and Sirsa.