May Day rally laments capitalists; demands mines restart
GOANEWS DESK, PONDA | 01 May 2013 17:46 IST
AITUC celebrates May Day in Ponda, Goa
The All India Trade Union Congress rally of May Day today demanded immediate restarting of mines in Goa, while lamenting UPA government for protecting interests of few capitalists.
The rally also demanded that the buffer zone limit be reduced from 10 kilometres, failing which almost all the mines in Goa would never start.
There was however no demand made to nationalise the mines.
Goa’s trade union leader Christopher Fonseca said the working class community would never surrender to the capitalist class.
Though he strongly advocated for sustainable mining in tune with protection of environment, Fonseca however felt that the buffer zone around the wild life sanctuaries should not be 10 kms.
“It has to be reduced, otherwise no mine in Goa could start its operations”, he said, but did not suggest the distance of buffer zone.
He also appealed to chief minister Manohar Parrikar not to make it a prestige issue but pray to the Supreme Court to resume mining operations as fast as possible.
“Mere financial packages and doles to the mining dependent people is not a long-term permanent solution to rejuvenate Goan economy”, said Fonseca.
Around 2000 workers marched in the city with red flags shouting slogans of workers unity at international level and May Day Zindabad.
The rally, culminated later at Kranti Maidan, was primarily addressed by AITUC national secretary Vahida Nizam.
She alleged that the UPA government is busy talking to the capitalist class and not the working class – the real ‘capital’ of the country.
Drought, bad monsoon or recession are not the real reasons of inflation in the country, she said, but not having pro-people policies with a plan to lift the economy is the real reason due to which the country is today suffering.
Suhas Naik, AITUC Goa secretary, said the fuel prices would be hiked soon after Lok Sabha election.
“Making petrol or diesel cheaper is nothing but a political gimmick, he said.
AITUC Goa president Prasanna Uttagi, deputy general secretary Raju Mangeshkar, John Paul Noronha, Anil Naik, Joaquim Fernandes, and A F G Mascarenhas also spoke.
