Thousands of labourers employed by big businesses involved in the extraction of sand in the Ganga-Son river belt of central Bihar held a massive demonstration in front of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha on 8th December 2010. This demonstration was led by the Balu Mazdoor Sangathan (sand workers’ association) and CPI(ML). Comrades Gopal Singh, Secretary of Balu Mazdoor Sangathan and Rameshwar Prasad, President of All India Agricultural Labourers’ Association (AIALA) led the militant demonstration. The rally caused a blockade of most main streets of Patna.
Recently, several contractors, who are patronised by the JD(U), BJP as well as RJD, have bought huge machines for sand extraction. This has resulted in thousands of workers in the Bikram and Bihta Maner block of Patna district and in the Sandesh and Koilwar blocks of Bhojpur dist becoming jobless. Most of the retrenched workers had to migrate to other states to earn their livelihood. The demonstration, first of this strength after the formation of Nitish Kumar’s government in Bihar, demanded withdrawal of the big machines creating unemployment. Several other demands of the sand labourers were also raised.
Senior government officials met a delegation of the Sand Workers’ Association and CPI(ML) leaders, and have given a verbal promise that the workers rendered jobless will be given employment either by withdrawing of machines or in various MGNREGA projects. If the promises made by the officials are not fulfilled, CPI(ML) will launch a bigger movement.
