Historic First-of-its-Kind Dharna by Families of Farmers who Committed Suicide Concludes with Resolve to Intensify United Struggles
11th August, 2015
The 2 Day Sit-In Dharna by families of Farmers who committed suicide culminated with a resolution to intensify united struggles against the Neo-liberal Economic Policies and the insensitive approach of the Narendra Modi led BJP Government as well as different State Governments. Over 500 peasants and agricultural workers attended in solidarity with the 103 family members from 12 States. The Dharna was today addressed by Prakash Karat, former General Secretary, CPI(M), A.K.Padmanabhan, President, CITU, Thirunavakkarasu, President, AIAWU, Swadesh Devroye Secretary, CITU, Jitendra Chowdhury, MP (Lok Sabha) and Convenor, Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch, Prof.Vikas Rawal and others.
Prakash Karat said that the Prime Minister was backtracking from his election time promises and betraying the interests of the peasantry. Although the BJP had promised remunerative prices for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendation of C2+50% or at least 50 percent above cost of production they have gone back on the promise. Public investment in agriculture and rural development is being curtailed and MGNREGA is being starved of funds as well as scaled down drastically he said. He pointed out that the Government policies were leading to the extreme agrarian distress and unprecedented rise in suicides in the last one year. He expressed solidarity with the families and extended support to the struggle.
Family members from different States narrated the extreme nature of the agrarian crisis and the reasons that led to the Farmers committing suicide. They pointed out that neither the Central Government nor the State Governments had done anything to mitigate their suffering. The families united by the extreme human tragedy and suffering due to Government policies expressed strong resolve to unite and struggle against the Neo-Liberal Economic Policies.
The Dharna demanded that the last two decades of implementation of Neo-Liberal Policies and its impact on the peasantry be reviewed. The Dharna demanded that all loans of poor and marginal Farmers as well as tenant farmers and agricultural workers be waived. It also demanded that the victim families be given a compensation of at least 10 lakh rupees per family. Hannan Mollah, General Secretary of AIKS put forward the proposals for intensifying the struggle and explained that there will be a united campaign from August 16th to 31st against anti-Farmer and anti-agricultural worker policies followed by a Demands Day on 1st September. On 2nd September active support for the United Trade Union Strike in the form of rail-roko and road-roko will be taken up. Amra Ram, President of AIKS warned the Narendra Modi Government and all anti-Farmer Governments that the flame of protest will spread across all villages in the country and an united movement will force them to withdraw such policies.
Sd/-
Amra Ram, President
Hannan Mollah ,General Secretary
