AIKC Meeting, Wardha, July 10-12, 2015

12th July, 2015

The All India Kisan Council of AIKS was held at Wardha, Maharashtra from 10th July to 12th July, 2015. The AIKC noted with concern that after the Narendra Modi-led BJP-NDA Government has come to power the agrarian crisis has intensified and the country is witnessing an increase in suicides by distressed Farmers across the country. The AIKC expressed its solidarity with the peasants, agricultural workers as well as the toiling masses and resolved to intensify the struggle against the Neo-Liberal Economic Policies being pursued aggressively by the BJP-NDA Government.

The AIKC condemned the undemocratic manner in which the Government has repeatedly promulgated the Land Acquisition Ordinance to facilitate smooth take-over of land for corporate profiteering and real estate purposes and resolved to fight any attempt to impose the Government Amendments as well as to resist all unjust acquisition by building broadest issue-based unity. The AIKC also condemned the insensitive handling of the extraordinary problem arising out of the unprecedented crop loss in unseasonal rains and hailstorm. The specific problems faced by poor, marginal, middle Farmers, tenant Farmers, landless agricultural workers were discussed and it was resolved to intensify struggles for land rights, house-sites for landless, comprehensive Central legislation for agricultural workers and effective implementation of MGNREGA. Struggles for remunerative Minimum Support Prices, effective Procurement, cheap agricultural inputs, cheap credit and better irrigation facilities and other issues have been planned. The increased authoritarian tendency under the BJP-NDA regime and attacks on democracy in West Bengal was noted by the AIKC and AIKS shall undertake campaigns against it as well as for protection of the hard-won democratic rights. The AIKC has noted with concern the increased attacks on Dalits, Adivasis, Women and Minorities and resolved to resist such attacks as well as intervene on their specific problems.

A Rally of around 3000 peasants was held at Wardha 0n 11th July which was addressed by Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, AIKS, Amra Ram President, AIKS, Surjyakant Misra, Leader of Opposition, West Bengal Assembly, AIKS Joint Secretary, S.Ramachandran Pillai, Vice-President, AIKS, Jitender Choudhary, Member of Parliament, Ashok Dhawale, Joint Secretary, AIKS, L.B.Dhangar and Vijay Jawandhia, veteran Peasant Leaders, Kishan Gujjar, State Secretary and Dada Raipure, State President, Maharashtra Kisan Sabha.

Four teams of the AIKS will be visiting Wardha, Amaravati, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Nanded in Vidarbha Region on 13th and 14th July and meet the families of Farmers who committed suicide due to the agrarian crisis.

The AIKC decided the following course of action:

1. A Jan Sunvai/Public Hearing on 23rd July at Delhi on Land Acquisition (Amendment), 2015 by the Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan involving members of the Joint Committee of Parliament on Land Acquisition and representatives of the peasantry, agricultural workers and other dependents on land.
2. A 2-Day Sit-In on 10th and 11th August, 2015 at Parliament by Families of Farmers Committing Suicide and peasantry from different parts of the country.
3. A 2 Week long campaign against anti-peasant policies and on basic demands as well as burning problems of the peasantry and agricultural workers from 16th August to 31st August, 2015 along with other Left Kisan and Agricultural Workers’ Organisation as well as other groups. It will culminate with the observance of a “Demands Day” across the country on 1st September, 2015.
4. Solidarity Action with the Central Trade Unions’ call of an All India Workers’ Strike on 2nd September, 2015 in the form of Road-Roko, Rail-Roko and Protest Actions against attacks on Labour Rights as well as on burning problems of the peasantry.
5. A Massive Protest Rally during the Budget Session, 2016 against the BJP-NDA Government’s Anti-Peasant, Anti-Agricultural Worker Neo-Liberal Economic Policies affecting the Rural Economy.

Sd/-

Amra Ram, President

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary