Date:30/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/30/stories/2008073058720100.htm

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Stir to focus on LDF ‘anti-people policies’

Special Correspondent

United Democratic Front to organise Secretariat blockade on August 16

Thankachan says over 25,000 UDF workers will participate in the blockade.

Thiruvananthapuram: The United Democratic Front (UDF) on Tuesday decided to focus its August-16 Secretariat blockade on the “anti-people policies” of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

On the controversial Class VII social science textbook, it appealed to the State government to ensure that the disputed chapters in the textbook were not taught in the schools till a final decision was taken on the issue.

Announcing the UDF’s stand at a press conference here, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan said, “the State government should find a solution by amending the social science textbook by including new content and removing the controversial portions, besides holding discussions with the people concerned prior to publishing the new textbook afresh.”

He said the UDF had informed the State government about its reservations on certain portions in the textbook. “Our appeal to the government is to ensure that the disputed portions are not taught in schools till the new textbook is published,” he said.

He said more than 25,000 UDF workers would participate in the August 16 Secretariat blockade that would focus on the government’s failure to arrest price rise, the unjustified hikes in power and bus charges and higher fee structure in self-financing professional colleges, besides the demand for recall of the disputed textbook.

He said the prices were rising in Kerala mainly because of the government’s failure to provide budgetary support to the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation. The Public Distribution System was in doldrums owing to the negative policy of the LDF government. The power tariff hike could also be avoided if the government was willing to offer subsidy. “Apparently, the government has conveniently resorted to such measures in the backdrop of the current agitation against the textbook,” he said.

The JSS leader K.R. Gowri took part in the leadership meeting for the first time in the last six months.

Mr. Thankachan said the district UDF committees would take the lead in organising vehicle jathas in the run up to the August 16 blockade.