CPM 'fire chain' to protest against LPG cap

All arterial roads, including national and state highways from Manjeswarm to Parasala on Saturday turned into a “social kitchen” with nearly 1.2 million people setting up hearths on road margins and cooking various dishes in protest against the cap on subsidised cooking gas cylinders to six.

The “fire chain’ agitation called by the CPM was inaugurated by party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan by lighting a hearth at Thiruvananthapruam. The party said that this symbolic protest is a strong warning against the Manmohan Singh government.

The protest began at 4 pm and ended at 5.30 pm. Part of the food prepared was offered to motorists and passersby; and the rest savoured by agitators.

Almost all “desi” food from boiled tapioca to kanji (rice gruel) to idli, dosa, appam to puttu were cooked. Party workers and leaders, including Pinarayi and Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, politburo members Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and M A Baby, senior leaders and former ministers turned up for the culinary protest with their families.

Several leaders took the lead role in cooking, while a few others helped their spouses and children.

The protest was followed by public meetings.