MAHARASHTRA

Communal Harmony & National Integrity Day Observed

P R Krishnan

MAY 15 was observed in different parts of Maharashtra as a day of protest against the continuing carnage in Gujarat, to promote communal harmony and strengthen national integration. Processions were taken out, meetings held and dharnas organised in Mumbai, Nasik, Pune, Solapur, Ichalkaranji, Aurangabad and Nagpur. The participants demanded resignation of Narendra Modi government and imposition of president's rule in Gujarat. The slogans raised in the processions were aimed at promotion of communal harmony and consolidation of national integrity. These programmes were organised as a part of the call given by the National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO) for observing a day against the state-sponsored attacks against minorities in Gujarat and to express solidarity with the victims there.

In Mumbai the day was observed under the auspices of trade unions’ Joint Action Committee.

Workers from different areas and centres came in groups and processions to assemble at Kamgar Maidan near ICM Hospital, carrying  the banners and flags of their respective organisations. From there the workers started in a militant procession marching through Parel, Lalbaug, Chinchpokli and Kalachowki to reach the Bhagat Singh Maidan, the venue of the meeting. Prominent among those who led the procession were Dr Shanti Patel and Suryakant Bagal (HMS), Sukumar Damble (AITUC), K L Bajaj, Mahendra Singh, Saeed Ahmed, Hemkant Semant and P R Krishnan (CITU), M A Patil, Milind Ranade and Jayant Chavan (Sramik Sangh) Deoti Gopinath (airport employees), G M V Naik (BEFI) and Suresh Dhopeshwarkar (AIBEA). The meeting held in the Maidan was addressed among others by Dada Samant (Kamgar Aghadi), Suryakant Bagal (HMS), Dr Vivek Monteiro (CITU), Yeshwant Chavan (Sramik Sanghatana) and A D Golandas (AITUC).