Price Rise – BMS Kerala Hartal on December 29 th

Kochi: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sanghom (BMS) has given a call to observe hartal on December 29 in protest against the price rise of essential commodities.N Nagaresh, Vice President, State BMS, alleged that both the Central and State governments were responsible for the price rise, which had adversely affected the life of the common man. As a part of the hartal, BMS will hold protest rallies today.

BMS Kollam district president T. Rajendran Pillai said that the price of food items continued to rise. But, no steps were being taken to bring prices down. He alleged that State Food Minister C. Divakaran was not serious about the situation. “There is no dearth of statements from him about controlling prices. People are fed up with such statements. This has compelled the BMS to launch agitations against the government. The hartal is part of the agitation,” he said.

The State committee of the Kerala NGO Sangh too has requested the public’s cooperation to make the hartal a success. In a statement, State president of the NGO Sangh M.S. Shyamkumar said that the unbearable rise in the prices of essential commodities had made life miserable for the common man.

He said that his organisation would extend full support to the hartal. Mr. Shyamkumar said that instead of strong measures to bring the prices down, the State and Central governments were blaming each other for the price rise. This is tantamount to cheating the people.

BMS Ernakulam district president M.M. Ramesh alleged that some middlemen and a section of the traders were deciding the prices of essential food items. The Central and State governments looked on helplessly, even as the common man suffered. Poorer sections would have to wait for hours in long queues in front of public distribution outlets to purchase food items, he said.

The press and vehicle services required in connection with deaths,
weddings and milk distribution have been exempted from the hartal.

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