CPI(M) to Observe Statewide 'Black Day' on Feb 3 Protesting Over Neglect Towards Kerala in Union Budget

Thiruvananthapuram: Protesting the severe neglect shown towards Kerala in the Union Budget, the CPI(M) will observe a statewide Black Day on Tuesday, February 3, the party’s State Secretariat said in a statement. The approach reflected in the budget suggests as if the state of Kerala does not even exist on India’s map, the statement said.

None of the 29 demands raised by Kerala ahead of the budget were considered by the Centre. The long-pending demand for an AIIMS has once again been ignored. Kerala has been excluded from the seven high-speed economic corridors announced by the Centre, and the demand for a special package for Vizhinjam port development was also rejected. Despite being the cradle of Ayurveda, Kerala was denied an Ayurveda AIIMS. The state also found no mention in announcements related to inland waterways, universities, or townships.

The budget offers no measures to protect traditional industries, nor does it include a rubber price stabilisation fund. There was no reference to the previously announced railway coach factory, and no initiatives were proposed for expatriate welfare. Scheme workers, including ASHA workers, were completely ignored. While abandoning the common people, the Centre has continued to protect corporates, by reducing the alternate minimum tax for large companies, the CPI(M) said.

The sharp cut in allocations for the employment guarantee scheme threatens the effective implementation of the program in Kerala. A government unwilling to expand welfare schemes has fully neglected the poor, the statement said.

In this context, the CPI(M) has called upon people to raise black flags at all booths and organise protest demonstrations on February 3, urging mass participation against what it termed an anti-people Union Budget.