The South West Garo Hills chapter of the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) today held a protest in Ampati against the alleged anti-farmer stance of the central government as well as the continued rise in fuel prices despite world rates coming down.
The event was chaired by the Vice-President of the MPYC, Stevie Marak, and saw the presence of the Salmanpara MLA, Winnerson D Sangma, District Coordinator Darkhan Sangma, Joint Secretary Malangkot Sangma and others.
“The present Indian government has been slowly and systematically introducing laws for oppressing the people and suppressing dissent since 2014. And recently they passed three anti-farmers laws which will be detrimental to the farmers of the nation. In order to protest these laws, farmers from all over India have been protesting in their own villages and also in the borders of the national capital for the last two months braving the chilling winter cold,” said Winnerson.
The MLA added that the Congress has taken on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and were protesting to lend their support to the farmers’ movement.
“We also protest the alarming rise in fuel prices that is becoming a burden on the common man. The hike in fuel prices has been instrumental in the rise in costs of essential commodities. This is injustice and there is power in the state government to ease the burden by lowering the taxes,” added Winnerson.
MPYC President Richard Marak, while speaking on the occasion, stated that it was only the Congress Party that stood for the common man.
“They (the BJP) are governing with ill intentions to benefit only their rich corporate friends while the rest of us become slaves. We stand in protest here today to show support to the farmers. The government should listen to the voice of the farmers and repeal the three laws immediately,” said Richard.
The MPYC leader further questioned the regional parties for their silence on the matter.
“They are hand in glove with the powers that are destroying the very fabric of our democracy. Even on the issue of CAA, they voted for it despite the people they represent being against it. People have not forgotten the way the lone NPP MP voted for CAA with such impunity even though the people of the entire North East India were against it,” added Richard.
The Congress leaders further pointed to the fact that even when global fuel prices were at record highs during the Congress led UPA government; the cost of fuel in the country was still a manageable Rs 71.
“Now when prices are at $54 a barrel, fuel prices are nearing Rs 100. We are not benefitting from this price drop. Instead we are taxed higher than ever before in the history of India. We demand that the state and central government lower the excise duties to what it was before and do away with other unnecessary cess and duties. We have to unite to do away with crony capitalism in order to safeguard our future and the future of our coming generations,” the MPYC leaders added.
