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Resentment against hike in bus fare mounting in Bhopal

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NK SINGH Though a Govt. directive has frustrated the earlier efforts of the MPSRTC to increase the city bus fares by as much as 300 per cent, the public resent even the 25 per cent hike. It is "totally unjust, uncalled for and arbitrary", this is the consensus that has emerged from an opinion conducted by "Commoner" among a cross-section of politicians, public men, trade union leaders, and last but not least, the common bus travelling public. However, a section of the people held, that an average passenger would not grudge a slight pinche in his pocket provided the MPSRTC toned up its services. But far from being satisfactory, the MPSRTC-run city bus service in the capital is an endless tale of woe. Hours of long waiting, over-crowding people clinging to window panes frequent breakdowns, age-old fleet of buses, unimaginative routes and the attitude of passengers one can be patient only when he is sure to get into the next bus are some of the ills plaguing the city b...
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Sangh attempt to fan communal fire in Bihar : Naxalite attacks given religious colour

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A painting by Sudhir Patwardhan

    NK SINGH

In Naxalite-infested Mushahari area of Muzaffarpur, Ram Garib Das, president of the local unit of the Jana Sangh was shot dead by the Naxalites on 24th July last. 

A leaflet issued by the Patna City Jana Sangh, “Khoon Ka Badla Khoon” (blood for blood), accused that “the Muslims belonging to the CPI” had killed Das. 

The Secretary of the Bihar State CPI described it as “an open call to murder Communists.” 

Owning the killing, the CPI(ML) said: “The Jana Sangh – the party of black marketeers and characterless zamindars – wants to give this incident a communal colour. It is falsely accusing the Muslims of having killed Das. We want to make it clear that Red Guerrilla squad has given the death punishment to Das. No Muslim whatsoever has any connection with it.” 

Patna violence

Recently, on 7th August the Naxalites threw bombs on an anti-Mao procession at Patna organised by the Sangh. 

The Vidyarthi Parishad and newly formed Krantikari Yuvak Sangh brought out a rally of 300 persons after burning the effigy of Mao at the gate of Patna College. 

As the rally advanced about 300 yards, two or three bombs were hurled on the procession. 

No one in the rally was injured. 

However, one bomb hit a rickshaw puller and its passenger – the lady principal of a local school. Splinters of bombs hit a sight-less boy (16) too. 

People in the rally alleged that the bombs were thrown from a mosque. The mob ransacked the mosque and assaulted and looted the Muslim shops in the area. 

Three persons suffered bomb injuries. 

One person was killed and six others were injured in the riots that ensued. 

 A top leader of Bihar Jana Sangh said that “the CPI-Muslim League axis was behind the attack.” 

The CPI(ML) later owned responsibility for the bomb attack. It accused the Jana Sangh of giving communal colour to the incident. 

Almost every political party and newspaper criticised those who participated in the procession to give the incident communal colour.

Excerpts from Secular Democracy October 1970

Secular Democracy October 1970 P1

Secular Democracy October 1970 P2



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