AIKS Press Invitation: 2 Day Sit-In Dharna in front of the Parliament

Family members of peasant suicide victims will organize 2 Day Sit-In Dharna in front of the Parliament

10, 11 August 2015, Jantar Mantar

The two and a half decades of the implementation of the Neo-Liberal Economic policies has caused untold suffering for the peasantry and for most part of the period India has witnessed an acute agrarian crisis where a vast majority of them have been in extreme distress. This period also witnessed the hitherto unseen phenomenon of mass suicides by the distressed peasantry and even conservative estimates put such suicides at over 3.5 lakh.

This scale of suicides by one section of the society is unheard of in the entire history of humankind. The ruling classes continue in a criminal denial mode or seek to address the problem very superficially without addressing the root cause of the problem-the Neo-Liberal Economic policies and Trade Liberalisation.

Since Narendra Modi Government assumed to power the rate of suicide has been increased by 26% as per the Data of National Statistical Office. The Land Acquisition Ordinance has exposed the pro-Corporate and anti-farmer character of the NDA Government. The PM has betrayed his promise of providing 50% above cost of production as Minimum Support Price for agricultural produce. The unprecedented agrarian distress has intensified the pauperisation of the peasantry, migration from countryside to urban centres and metropolis, decline of income and employment to rural households, widening income inequality and large-scale land alienation.

To highlight the gravity of the situation the AIKS has organised a 2-Day Sit-In Dharna of family members of Peasants committing suicide on 10th and 11th August at Delhi. The Dharna will begin at 10.00 AM on 10th and conclude by 4.00 PM on 11th August.

This is first time in the history of the country such a representative agitation by the kith and kin of peasant suicide victims from all over India is being organised.

The 2 Day Sit-In agitation will be demanding the Indian Parliament to review the 25 years impact of the neo-liberal economic policies on agriculture and the peasantry and reverse them as neo-liberal economic policies are the root cause of the continuing agrarian distress and widespread peasant suicides all over the country.

Members of Parliament, leaders of Political Parties, Peasant Movement, Mass and Class organizations, Cultural activists, Intellectuals, Journalists will join the Sit-In agitation in solidarity with the peasantry who are facing unprecedented onslaught and distress. Family members of peasant suicide victims from suicide prone regions like Vidarbha, Anantapur, Wayanad, Burdhaman, Mandya, Bhiwani, Sangrur etc will be participating in the struggle.,

The Sit-In Dharna will also demand-

• Minimum Rs.10 lakhs as relief to the suicide affected farmers’ families
• Waive all outstanding loans of all Families of Farmers who committed Suicide. Set up a Debt Relief Commission along the lines of Kerala.
• Ensure interest free credit to poor and middle peasantry, share croppers and agricultural workers and not more than 4% interest for other farmers
• Ensure Cost+50% (C2+50%) as MSP for all crops as recommended by Swaminathan Commission and guarantee purchasing centres in all areas
• Ensure social security of Agricultural workers, Central Legislation and minimum of 12 decimal land for house sites with minimum Rs.5 lakhs assistance for construction of houses for rural poor
• Ensure more public investment in agriculture to develop infrastructure and for supplying inputs to farmers at cheaper rates. Stop FDI in agriculture
• Ensure universal right to education, health and employment
• Government should ensure Rs.3000/- as minimum monthly pension to all the toiling farmers, agricultural workers and rural artisans
• Ensure 200 days work for MNREGA with minimum Rs.300/- as daily wage and bring back implementation of MNREGA all over the country.
• Strengthen PDS and ensure food security and supply all consumer goods at cheaper rates. Stop dismantling of the FCI.
• The All India Kisan Sabha has been in the forefront of mobilising the peasantry with the slogan “Not Suicides; Struggle is the Answer”. In the past few months AIKS teams have visited Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Madhya Pradesh and other States witnessing suicides by distressed peasantry. The Kisan Sabha will further advance the struggle by joining hands with all other Left and Democratic Kisan and agriculture worker organizations and the working class to reverse the anti-people Neo-liberal economic agenda of the Narendra Modi Government.

The press conference was also attended by N K Shukla, Vijoo Krishnan and P Krishnaprasad.