CPM youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) launched a statewide march from Cooch Behar on Friday to demand education and employment.

A few months ago, Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had launched his Nabajowar Yatra from the same location.

Under the Insaf Yatra, DYFI leaders and workers will march around 2,000km over the next two months and congregate at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Calcutta in January for a public meeting.

“We have launched the march to demand education and employment. We will march from Cooch Behar to Calcutta with the demands of the people and there will be a mega public meeting in the city on January 7. During the next 60 days, we will be on the road to tell people how they are being deprived by the state and central governments,” said Minakshi Mukherjee, the state secretary of the DYFI.

Before the march was launched, Minakshi and other leaders of the youth front took part in a public meeting in Cooch Behar town.

“People across the state are spending days in distress. The worst affected are the youths. There is no employment and the education system has collapsed. We want justice for them and have named the march Insaf Yatra,” Minakshi said.

Political observers said the Left is trying to galvanise its support base to take on Trinamul and the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“Though Trinamul is part of the INDIA alliance along with the CPM and the Congress, chances are slim that they will share seats in Bengal. That is why, it seems, the CPM has engaged its youth front to drum up support before the Parliament elections,” said an observer.

During the statewide drive, DYFI leaders said, there will be rallies, street-corner meetings and public meetings.

“Our leaders and workers will interact with people of different age groups to understand their problems. They will also apprise common people about the faulty policies of the central and state governments and about corruption that is ruining the future of the young generation and making life tough for people across the board,” a DYFI leader said.