The Island Reflector

Port Blair, Nov 10: As part of the ongoing agitation launched by opposition party against demonetization & GST and to observe 8/11/2017 as a “Black Day”, a public meeting was conducted jointly by Andaman Nicobar Pradesh Congress Committee, DMK Party and CPI(M) party at Tiranga Park, Port Blair at 5.00 p.m. on 8/11/2017. People from all walks attended the meeting in large numbers.
Addressing the gatherings Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, President, Pradesh Congress party described the demonetization as a ”Himalayan blunder” of Mr Modi. which has destroyed India’s reliable cash economy hitting out at honest poor, farmers, labours, artisans, small shopkeepers, businesses, fisherman Vegetable vendors, road side vendors and the housewives. Entire countrymen, women, old and young were lined up before the ATMS and several people died while standing in queues while thousands suffered for not able to meet the expenses for treatment , marriages, education etc. on account of cashlessness.
Describing the NDA Government has miserably failed in meeting to the electoral promises made during the election campaign of 2014 in all fronts such as bringing back the black money of Indians stacked in the foreign banks, employment generation, checking price rise, cross border terrorism etc.
Mr. Kuldeep said that on 8/11/2016, Mr.Modi in a rush to mark his presence overnight, swept off 86% of country’s high denomination currency keeping aside all the economic expertise around him. Barely a year after Demonetization when the economy was still to recover from slowdown , the forceful installation of deceptive Goods and Service Taxes (GST) on common masses, has further broken backbone of the country and its people. The people of these Islands are worst hit by the GST, as being an UT and centrally administered by government of India , there was either no tax or very meager tax for the islanders for various obvious reasons, but now we have to pay two kind of taxes CGST and UTGST which has made living unaffordable. Smti Shanta Singh, Mr. Noor Islam Mr. Tamil Selvam, Senior leaders of Pradesh Congress committee in their address elaborated the sufferings being faced by the Fishermen, tourism sector, small traders and common man in these islands during the post demonetization period and introduction of GST. They also said that during the demonetization the country has dropped into a state of economic disorder wiping out people’s earning and created an enormous sense of fear and insecurity.
Mr. Laxman Rao, Mr. K.G. Das and Mr. Banerji, Senior leaders of CPI (M) party in their address said that the demonetization move has not only caused price rise, joblessness for the working class particularly in the unorganized sector but also slowed down the country’s economy. The leaders described that demonetization was a politically motivated publicity stunt launched by the Modi Government, censing its failure in meeting to the electoral promises, to divert the attention of the country from the real social need and its remedy to being relief to sufferings countrymen. None of objectives for which Mr.Modi launched the exercise of demonetization i.e. eradicating black money, stopping terror funding and arrest of counterfeit currency could be achieved as barring 1% of banned currency all have come back into the system, the cross border terrorism in on rise and immediately after the introduction of new currency, fake currency came into the market. The leaders from all political parties stressed the need for joining hands to fight against the anti poor and anti people policies of NDA Government and also to wipe out the BJP during the next parliamentary election.
Mr. A.R. Marudhavanan, State Chief Organizer, DMK party and party’s other senior leaders such as Mr. Senthil, Mr. Kulanthai, Mr. Kannan in their speech said that the Demonetization has affected each aspect of life of the people. They in their address reminded the trauma faced by the people post demonetization breaking the backbone of the Indian economy.
The meeting was concluded with vote of thanks proposed by Mr. A.R. Marudhavanan, State Chief Organizer, DMK Party who spelt the need for organizing joint meetings frequently to expose the anti anti people policies of NDA Government.