ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SCENE 9 geoisie and the landlords—to accumulate wealth at the expense of the poor. The policy of 'moratorium5 on strikes has in effect meant the use of brutal force to suppress the workers5 demands and deny collective bargaining. The labour policy of the government thus reflects the very core of the capitalist economy. Wherever the people have unleashed struggles against the wrong economic policies of the government, the coercive instruments of the state have been employed in the most inhuman manner. The government has applied draconian measures such as Defence of India Rules (DIR) and the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) to meet protesting marchers and demonstrators. Under MISA alone, more than 10,000 persons have been put behind the bar. The challenge of the rising tide of mass struggles is proposed to be met by the intensive use of the repressive machinery of the army and police. The expenditure on the Central Reserve Police has reportedly gone up steadily, from Rs 5.76 crores in 1965-66 to Rs 37.85 crores in the last year. 4k Growing Struggles and Emerging Unity Last year, particularly the last few months, witnessed an unprecedented rise of mass protests all over the country. Forms of protest have varied from token strikes to dharna, squatting, demonstrations, indefinite strikes and 'bandhs5. Workers in important industries such as jute, engineering, textiles, railways, road transport and electricity undertakings have conducted militant struggles during the last one year. Agricultural labour and land-hungry peasants have gone into militant action for distribution of surplus land, very often taking the destiny into their own hands and distributing illegally held surplus lands of landlords. Middle class employees, central government and state government employees, teachers, students youth and women, all have entered the arena of struggles in a big way. The experience of the mass' struggles during the last year points towards the urgent need for unity of the working class and a wider unity between workers and peasants and also the middle classes. There are already visible signs of this emerging unity. It is reflected in the forging of links among different trade unions and political parties which have gone into joint action on issues affecting the vast masses of the people, whether it be the defence of the trade union rights of the working class, 'bonus for all5, 'need-based wage5 including full neutralisation of cost of living or the mass resistance to blackmarketing and hoarding of food materials. The participation of increasing sections of the people in such struggles in defiance of lathis, teargas shells and bullets unmistakably reveal the growing urge for unity and united actions. It is heartening to note that the cause of peasants has received support from workers, and the demands of the unemployed persons have been backed by employed workers and teachers, students and youth. The struggles of vast sections of the- people, organised or sporadic,