JOIN USSenior citizens with grizzled and deep ridged faces along with women and youths from across the city and hinterland thronged the heart of south Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan on Monday demanding “pension for all as a right to life”.
In the recent past, traditional marches had become a rare sight in south Mumbai. The area was choc-a-bloc with over 50 police vehicles dotting the main road and heavily armed police personnel swarming the gates of Azad Maidan. The rally organised by the CPI which once had a stronghold in the industrial heartland of Mumbai, called ‘Lal Baug,’ and now whittled down to a mere wisp of smoke, comes in the wake of the lingering severe water scarcity and economic recession plaguing the urban and rural centres alike.
While rally organisers pegged the congregation between 30,000 and 40,000, police officials stated that the crowd strength was probably around 10,000. CPI party worker Uday Chaudhari said: “the first time that people from districts as far as Gondia and Latur and from urban centres like Nagpur, Amravati and Nashik took part in a rally.”
Leaders from other progressive and Left parties present at the rally also stressed on the need for introducing the pension scheme in wake of high inflation rate.