AIKS salutes peasantry for organising massive rural mobilization and Hartal in solidarity with 48 Hours All India Workers Strike

The massive mobilization and Rural Harthaal called by Kisan Organisations in support of the 48 hours All India Workers strike were successful in many parts of the country. The rural strike was successful in states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Tripura.  In other states there was massive mobilizations and road and rail blockade.  Transport was off the road in large rural tract across the country.  AIKS, Bhumi Adhikar Andolan and AIKSCC have extended support to the workers strike.

In Kerala, Bihar and Tripura there was total Harthaal. In Tamil Nadu, around one lakh persons were detained and arrested for participating in road blockade in around 500 places.  In Karnataka, there was massive mobilization in 31 districts and transport was off the road. The constituent peasant organizations of AIKSCC actively participated in the mobilizations. Massive joint mobilizations were held in all the districts in Andhra Pradesh. In Maharshtra, thousands of villagers joined road blockade strike in Thane,
Palghar and Ahamad Nagar districts.

In West Bengal, rural Hartal was almost total in all the 19 districts. 80% of transport was off the road and shops were closed down. Widespread attack was there by TMC workers which were resisted by villagers. Around 100 persons were arrested all over the state.  In more than 500 places road
blockade was organized. In Jharkhand at 22 places massive mobilizations took place in which arrest were made in three districts.

There are reports of massive processions and public meetings from almost all the states including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and North East states. In J&K, there were demonstrations organized at Srinagar, Jammu, Kupwara, Baramulla and Ananthnag. 

This massive response reflects the alienation and anger among the peasantry and the working class across the country against the neo-liberal policies strongly pursued by the Modi Government, that have been the cause of agrarian crisis, unemployment, price rise and indebtedness. The people have expressed their discontent against the Modi Government and its anti-peasant, anti worker policies.  

AIKS congratulates the peasantry for making the strike and Rural Harthaal successful. 

Ashok Dhawale,President 

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary