User:Cpimwb/sandbox/People's Brigade(2019)

People's Brigade (2019)
The People's Brigade (2019) is a political event organised by Left Front led by C.P.I(M) West Bengal. The event will take place on the 3rd day of February, 2019 at Brigade Parade Ground.

Geographical Location
Follow the Google Map to find details of the location.

History
The first ever Brigade rally called by C.P.I(M) was on 9 April 1967. After that numerous rally took place in Brigade Parade Ground.

Demand Set
• Implementation of the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission. The State and Central government will have to buy crop  at a rate of one and a half times the cost of production.

• Work for all. 18,000 minimum wage and minimum pension of 3,000. Abolition of all anti-labor laws.

• All Indian Citizen must be included in  NRC  in Assam.

• All religious  fundamentalism and communalism and oppression of Dalits and tribal  must be stopped immediately.

• Return the rights of land and forests to the tribal. Provide stipend and  hostels to tribal students.

•  Ensure the safety of women. At least one-third of the women's representation must be ensured in the legislature

• Punish the guilty of Sharada-Narada, Rafal scam's and punish who looted money of the public banks, punish people responsible for the corruption of employment.

• Stop saffornisation  and corruption in education system, reduce the cost of  education.

Media Campaign
The 'Brigade' is bringing people together in unexpected ways. Ever since the Left Front announced its decision to hold its signature 'Brigade Rally' on February 3, the Bengali social media space is buzzing with anticipation. In a significant break from the past, when wall writings and graffiti used to mark political campaigns, this time the CPI(M)'s West Bengal unit is aggressively using its social media cell to generate greater participation and involvement of its supporters.

The Digital Team, through its Facebook page and Twitter handle, has urged supporters to send in posters, graphics, poetry and photographs of volunteers painting Brigade graffiti in various parts of West Bengal. Interestingly, the Digital Team has also requested supporters to record one minute-long videos with the tagline: 'Why I am headed for Brigade.' Supporters can also narrate their fond memories of previous Brigade rallies and all entries can be sent to a WhatsApp number (8017921866). The Digital Team will broadcast all entries on their official Facebook page, Twitter handle and YouTube channel. Those who are uncomfortable with making their support public, due to the prevalent environment of threats and intimidation, can also choose to remain anonymous.

This attempt to make the Brigade Rally much more participatory in nature, with the help of social media, has evoked enthusiastic response from the CPI(M)'s support base. Unlike cash-rich parties like the BJP or Congress, the CPI(M)'s presence on social media used to be somewhat limited. However, since last year, the party's West Bengal unit has beefed up its activities, especially during the panchayat elections, when it provided valuable information from remote areas on the unprecedented violence and intimidation unleashed by Trinamul Congress activists on Left cadres.

Recently, the party's social media team, with help from its volunteers, campaigned relentlessly to give visibility to the #SingurKisanMarch, which saw the participation of 50,000 farmers and farm workers in November 2018, and the Uttar Kanya Kisan March of North Bengal in end-December, that mobilized another 30,000 people. The success of these campaigns can be gauged from the fact the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been forced to announce a handful of sops for the farm sector.

Explaining the reason for this greater emphasis on social media campaigns,  a CPI(M) state secretariat member, said, "We have noticed that in the past few years, the print and electronic media in Kolkata have consistently blacked out the Left and its mobilizations. Important issues raised by us, be it recruitment mess in SSC, or aggravated corruption in farm procurement, are kept out of discourse. But gradually, we are able to get our message across with the help of various social media platforms. Our cadres and volunteers are now at their innovative best, even taking great risks, to collect news, anecdotes, photographs from villages and districts and putting it online. Now, we are confident that the combined campaign of our cadres, volunteers and supporters will result in a very successful Brigade rally."

The West Bengal CPI(M), which has often been criticized for its conventional approach to political campaigning, is now all geared up to take it to the next level. Its social media cell is already churning out copious volumes of memes, posts, graphics and videos on topical issues, which are then disseminated via WhatsApp groups. Unlike the Trinamul Congress, which brazenly uses public-funded government advertisements to showcase itself, the CPI(M) is depending on the agility of its online volunteers to create a favorable eco-system. Much now hinges on how successfully the party's social media team generates hype around the 'Brigade', and whether it manages to change the narrative of West Bengal's politics before Lok Sabha elections.