Massive AIKS Rally in Churu, Rajasthan, on Quit India Day Demands Just Crop Insurance Compensation, MSP Guarantee, Freedom from Debt

On 9 August 2023, the 81st anniversary of Quit India Day, the AIKS Churu District Committee in Rajasthan organised a massive rally of thousands of farmers.

This rally was the next stage in the one year long AIKS struggle for just compensation for heavy crop damages in the Kharif 2021 season under the crop insurance scheme. Instead of 700 crore rupees that were due to farmers by using crop cutting data, the SBI General Insurance Company had given them only 213 crore rupees by using satellite data. The central and state governments of the BJP and the Congress respectively were in league with the insurance company.

Other demands of the rally were MSP guarantee at one and a half times the comprehensive cost of production, complete loan waiver to the peasantry, six hours regular electricity to tube wells, and urgent demands concerning irrigation.

Since the district administration has not yet positively responded to the farmers’ demands, the Mahapadav of thousands of farmers is still continuing in Churu at the time of filing this report.

Among those who addressed the rally today were AIKS President Dr Ashok Dhawale, Vice President Amra Ram, State President Pema Ram, State General Secretary Chhaganlal Choudhary, District President Indraaj Singh, District Secretary Umrao Singh, State Committee member Nirmal Prajapat, CPI(M) MLA Girdhari Mahiya, and many others.

Along with the immediate issues of struggle, the speakers drew attention to the fact that today was observed countrywide by the SKM and the CTUs as ‘Corporate Looters Quit India, Quit Agriculture Day’.

They also spoke on the need to effectively combat the national and state level political challenges in an election year, especially to ensure the defeat of the corporate-communal BJP-RSS. They stressed on the need to greatly increase the independent strength of the Left, which was the only true champion of the peasantry and the working class, in the new State Assembly and in Parliament.