Jan Sankalp Abhiyan ‘Save Constitution - Save Democracy' March in Bihar

The CPIML’s call of ‘Save Constitution - Save Democracy, Oust BJP – Save the Country’ was carried forward with the state-wide Jan Sankalp Abhiyan padyatra (march) from January 24 to January 30. The padyatra, which began on the birth anniversary of ex-CM of Bihar and social justice crusader Karpoori Thakur and culminated on January 30 marking the martyrdom anniversary of Gandhi were organised across various districts in Bihar. 

January 24

A march was organised to Karpurigram in Samastipur, the birthplace of Karpoori Thakur, on 24 January 2024. The march was inaugurated by party’s General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya. He addressed the huge mass gathering assembled at Samastipur bus stand along with many other leaders. Hundreds of people marched on foot and floral tributes were offered on the statue of Karpoori Thakur.

Comrade Dipankar said that this Jan Sankalp Abhiyan is being launched to uphold the idea of a secular democratic republic which is the basic spirit of our constitution and this very idea is today under attack by fascist forces. Karpoori Thakur had little time to implement his idea of social justice as chief minister, but he used it very efficiently. We know him today for his efforts made to uplift the downtrodden, deprived castes, and release of political prisoners. He had been a very powerful and effective leader in the opposition for a very long time. We know that politics of the poor don’t go along with those in power, instead it is strengthened with people’s struggles. Karpoori Thakur is also remembered for his honesty and simplicity in politics, he added. He is now being awarded with the Bharat Ratna which had for a very long time been a demand from socialist and communists in the country. We must also not forget that castiest, communal feudal forces in Bihar have always opposed Karpoori Thakur’s politics of reservation and social justice, and that these feudal communal forces are backed by BJP-RSS. People of Bihar will never forgive or forget the crimes perpetrated by them.

The campaign determined to carry forward the legacy of Karpoori Thakur and fight for social justice and resist the BJP-RSS’s attack on democracy and constitution. 

January 26

Marking the 75th Republic Day, the mass meetings were organised across the state and as part of the call from the Central Committee the preamble of the constitution was read out resolving to steadfastly intensify the struggle against the communal-fascist attack of BJP-RSS on the people. 

In Patna, a Tricolour march was taken out. Comrades Mahboob Alam, Shashi Yadav and Abhyuday along with members of civil society joined the march. 

January 28

On a day when Nitish Kumar betrayed the cause of democracy and social justice by returning to the BJP's fold, a huge march was organised in Siwan as part Jansankalp Abhiyan. In Siwan, the march started from Jiradei, the ancestral house of India's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad and concluded the yatra at Faridpur at the mazaar of Maulana Mazharul Haque, one of Gandhi's closest associates and among the tallest leaders of the early freedom movement in Bihar. On the way the march stopped at Narendrapur to garland the statue of martyr Umakant Singh, one of the seven students who had embraced martyrdom during the Quit India Movement trying to hoist the tricolour at the Patna secretariat building on 11 August 1942. It also stopped at Bhawrajpur village where three members of the family of CPI(ML) leader Ghulam Haider - his nonagenarian father Touqeer Hussain, four-year-old daughter Juhi and cousin Aftab - were gunned down by criminals in September 1996.

Addressing the gathering, Comrade Dipankar said that as the BJP regime wants a ‘opposition mukt’ [opposition free] and ‘andolan mukt’ [protest free] country. BJP is carrying out all dirty tricks to remove opposition led governments, either by buying MLAs or using ED-CBI as part of it’s political vendetta. 

“In his time when Karpoori Thakur took the first decisive steps for implementation of reservation and advancing the agenda of social justice in Bihar he had to face the vicious opposition of the RSS. He was never allowed to stay in power for long, his two stints as Bihar CM were extremely short lived. Today in the name of honouring Karpoori Thakur the RSS-BJP brigade is again trying to derail Bihar's battle for justice and democracy by using Nitish Kumar, who has had the longest stint as CM, as its pawn. The forces of secular democracy, social and economic justice and people's rights will have to carry forward the fighting democratic legacy of Karpoori Thakur by foiling the fascist conspiracy,” Comrade Dipankar added amid slogans of ‘Nitish Kumar murdabad.’

January 29

On the second last day of the weeklong Jansankalp Abhiyan, homage was paid to Mahatma Gandhi and Karpoori Thakur in a mass meeting at Ramna Maidan, Bihar’s Ara. There was palpable anger among the people, youth in particular, against the BJP's power grab courtesy Nitish Kumar's somersault.

Comrade Dipankar said that the caste survey had turned the focus on the urgency of measures to eliminate poverty in Bihar and for the first-time government jobs, secure livelihood and economic justice had started occupying the centre stage in Bihar's political discourse. Recruitment of teachers had begun, raising hopes of more jobs and filling up of vacancies in different departments with expanded reservation for SC/ST/EBC/OBC. During Karpoori Thakur's days the RSS and Bihar's feudal-communal camp tried to stop the advance of social justice by removing him from the CM's chair. Today the Sangh-BJP brigade seeks to achieve this goal by diverting the agenda and derailing the direction even while keeping Nitish Kumar as CM. Karpoori sacrificed power to stick to his agenda, his self-styled disciple Nitish Kumar retains power by subordinating the social justice agenda to the Sangh's fascist design.

Comrade Dipankar added that following Nitish Kumar's desertion and the return of NDA to power, INDIA coalition in Bihar will have to intensify its oppositional role against Modi's double engine Delhi-Patna governments and boldly champion the demands and aspirations of Bihar's farmers, workers, youth and women. The Mahagathbandhan had already come close to winning majority in the 2020 Assembly elections, despite Nitish Kumar's desertion the INDIA coalition in Bihar has the strength to give the BJP a fitting rebuff in the coming elections.

Comrades Indu Singh, Raju Yadav, Kaimuddin Ansari and CPI(ML) MLAs Manoj Manzil, Sudama Prasad and Ajit Kumar addressed the meeting resolving to carry forward the campaign to masses and ensure defeat of forces and ideology of hate and fascism in Bihar. Our freedom fighters fought for a country where values of liberty, justice and equality will trump over the forces of hate and division. Our freedom fighters wanted a country, where toiling masses and working class will have their rights and livelihood, but the BJP regime is sacrificing people’s lives for benefit of the corporates and rich. Jobs, education, health and even our country’s natural resources are being taken away from the people and handed over to the corporates and profiteering. We must unite to end this wholesale stealing of people’s livelihood and resources. 

The speakers added that BJP wants to establish the ideology of Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse and we the people of India will foil this conspiracy. 

January 30

The weeklong Save Democracy-Save India Jansankalp Abhiyan in Bihar culminated on the Gandhi Martyrdom Day with meetings and marches across the state.  Massive rallies were organised in Jehanabad and Patna. 

In Patna, addressing the rally Com. Ramji Rai, Politburo member of CPI(ML) said that desperate to hold on to power in the coming elections after ten years of communal hatemongering and deceitful populism, the Modi government seeks to use the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as an electoral trump card. It is also the most explicit symbol of the Sangh brigade's Hindu supremacist vision of India to the outside world. On this day when we remember Gandhi, we must pledge to carry forward his legacy fight against forces of hate. A secular and diverse democracy can be the only vibrant mode of existence for the world's most populous and diverse country.

Addressing the event in Jehanabad, Comrade Meena Tiwari, Politburo Member of CPI(ML) said that the RSS and Hindutva forces have always betrayed the legacy of our freedom fighters like Gandhi, Karpoori Thakur and Bhagat Singh. When our country achieved independence, these Hindutva forces were busy orchestrating riots and dividing the country on religious lines and today BJP-RSS is carrying out the same nefarious agenda by throttling democracy and constitution. 

The campaign vowed to dethrone the ideology and forces that killed Gandhi within six months of India's attainment of freedom and are now destroying democracy and the social fabric with relentless hate, lies and violence.