In Solidarity with the Karshaka Hartal in Kerala on 8th April, 2015
6th April, 2015
The All India Kisan Sabha extends full support to the dawn-to-dusk Karshaka Hartal in Kerala on 8th April, 2015 called by the Kerala Karshaka Sangham to highlight the plight of the peasantry in the State. The Hartal was primarily called to protest against the total apathy and insensitive handling of the crisis arising out of the volatile prices of rubber which has led to continuous fall in prices and loss of income to the rubber growers. This is a protest against the Congress-led State Government and the BJP-led Central Government whose anti-peasant policies and implementation of trade liberalisation as well as Free Trade Agreements under the neoliberal economic regime which both the Congress and the BJP subscribe to. Despite repeated demands for a Price Stabilisation Fund to ensure income losses to Farmers are compensated as well as a comprehensive insurance scheme addressing yield and income losses, the BJP Government at the Centre and the Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala are not taking any steps. Rather, they are going in for greater trade liberalisation and entering into unequal Free Trade Agreements which are suicidal for Indian agriculture.
The fall in Rubber prices world over has affected the lives and livelihood of lakhs of rubber producers in our country especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and North Eastern States. The average price of Natural Rubber in 2010-11 was Rs 240 per Kilogram. In the last three years it has come down heavily and there was a situation when it fell to as low as Rs. 110 per kilogram and small farmers were forced to sell at Rs.95 per kilogram. Farmers are not getting even the Cost of Production. AIKS demands immediate intervention from the Central and State Governments to save Farmers.
The Karshaka Hartal which translates as Agricultural Shutdown also raises other burning issues including the problem of the peasantry because of the non-payment of remunerative Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for paddy and absence of procurement. Under the pressure of consistent struggles by Karshaka Sangham the Congress-led UDF Government was unable to withdraw from the trend set by the LDF Government of giving a substantial bonus over and above the MSP fixed by the Centre. However, citing the BJP Government’s Order not to procure at higher than the MSP fixed by the Centre, the procurement has come to a standstill. If the BJP Government’s order is adhered to the Farmers in Kerala will lose nearly Rs.540/- for every quintal of paddy as the MSP fixed is Rs.1360/Qtl and the State MSP is Rs.1900/Qtl. The anti-peasant nature of the Modi-led BJP Government and the passive connivance of the Congress-led UDF Government needs to be exposed.
The All India Kisan Sabha met the Agriculture Minister and raised the problems of the rubber growers, small tea growers, jute farmers and small and marginal farmers across the country. However, no effort has been made by the Central Government to resolve these problems. We condemn this attitude and warn that struggles will be intensified across the country against the anti-peasant stance.
The unseasonal rains across the country affecting over 2 crore hectares leading to total crop-loss in most areas has also not been addressed. Farmers’ suicides are escalating in these regions. AIKS demands that it be declared as a National Calamity and immediate steps be taken to compensate the Farmers for the losses.
Sd/-
Amra Ram, President
Hannan Mollah, General Secretary
