Peasantry will resist Corporate Attack on Land, Agriculture and Livelihood
The Central Kisan Committee of AIKS in its meeting on 15th and 16th February 2017 has decided to join hands with all likeminded left and progressive peasant, agriculture worker, Dalit and tribal organisations to resist the corporate driven attack unleashed all over the country on land, agriculture and livelihood of peasantry. AIKS will work hard to intensify united issue based massive struggles in coming months wherever the peasantry and tribal people are under severe attack.
The people will never tolerate killing of peasants who are resisting loot of land
The CKC meeting noted with concern and strongly protested the series of police firing and murder on farmers in various parts of the country in the recent months. The TMC led Mamata Government killed two persons Alamgheer Sheik and Mofizul Khan in Bhangar West Bengal by unleashing police firing on peaceful agitators’ who were protesting forcible land acquisition. In Assam , the BJP led Sarbananda Sonowal government killed two persons including a women – Anjuma Khautun and Fakrudhin- in police firing while imposing forcible land eviction on settler farmers in Kaziranga region. In Jharkhand seven tribals were killed in various incidents of police firing by the BJP led Raghubar Das government. Abraham Munda was murdered in Cyco village of Khuti District, Dasarath Nayak and Ram Ratn Mahato killed in Tonga Ratu Vilage of Gola Blok of Ramgarh District, Ranjan Das, Abhishek Rai, Mahtub Alam and Pawan Sao of Barka Gaon of Hazaribag District. The people will never tolerate killing of peasant agitators who are resisting loot of land.
All these murders were on land and land related issues orchestrated by the corporate driven move to snatch tribal land rich of minerals and land of settler farmers and small peasants through forceful acquisition. The Modi government since it failed to enact the infamous land acquisition ordinance in the wake of united resistance by the peasantry is promoting state governments to enact state laws in order to facilitate corporate takeover of land. In this direction, the most heinous crime up on the tribal people has been committed by the Raghubar Das government of Jharkhand where Amendment of Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act-1908 (CNTA) and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act-1949 (SPTA) bills were passed on 23rd November 2016, within 2.57 minutes all with voice vote, without any debate in the Assembly.
CNTA-1908 restricts transfer of land within the same caste and geographical limits, with administrative approvals, whereas under SPTA-1949, lands (urban/rural) are non-transferable. Both the tenancy acts are kept outside judicial review under IX Schedule of the Constitution to ensure rapid restoration and protection of lands of ST, SC and OBC population. For special protection of tribal lands in Schedule Areas, Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act-1996(PESA) was enacted. PESA makes it mandatory to consult Gram Sabha or the Panchayats before acquisition of land.
It is to be noted that these acts were brought in the context of long battle of the Tribal Regime under the leadership of Sindhu Kanhu of Santhal Parganas and Birsha Ulgulan Munda in Chhotonagapur. After this British rulers enshrined right of tenancy of tribals through Chhotonagpur Tenancy Act 1908 and later through SPT Act of 1949. These Acts under 5th Scheduled of the Constituency and cannot be changed in any away since this is a constitutional safeguard for the tribal people, Dalits and OBC. By these amendments BJP Government has subverted the hard earned PESA as well as provisions of V-Schedule of our constitution. Thus Modi Raj has been proved diehard in character than even colonial British Raj and has no respect towards constitution; rights of tribal people and bent on hunting innocent peasants belonging to tribals and minorities in order to serve their corporate masters. The CKC in a resolution has urged the Indian Parliament to take bold decision to reject the attack on Constitution by the BJP led state government of Jharkhand and protect the rights of tribal people. A massive convention will be held at Ranchi on 30th March 2017 which will be attended by Hannan Mollah, and Madan Ghosh
Appeal to rally on united issue based struggles against Modi Raj
The Demonetisation drive of the Modi government has smashed the already crisis ridden agriculture and rural economy. It has been reflected in crash of price of agriculture commodities, large scale joblessness, reduction of income to all sections from households to traders, go-slow of MNREGS works etc. Morethan 150 people died either in the queue before the Banks or due to shock after loss of job or break up of arranged marriages of children. The budget 2017-18 of Modi Government has been widely condemned as anti-farmer. The Prime Minister has repeatedly betrayed the farmers by not announcing remunerative price for crops to the tune of 50% in addition to cost of production as promised in 2014 election manifesto of BJP. There was no comprehensive loan waiver for the poor and middle peasantry. The Union Government has been cheating the farmers in the name of Prime Ministers Bhima Yojana by not ensuring proper compensation for crop loss suffered by farmers. The country has witnessed 42% increase in farmers suicide in the last two and half years and now 52 farmers per day are committing suicide under BJP rule comparing to 43 farmers per day under the earlier rule of Congress led UPA2.
Menace of severe drought and famine
The vast areas of more than 300 districts are facing unprecedented drought and famine especially in the Southern States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra yet the Union Government is not ready to undertake any protective measures to bring relief to millions of the affected people.
Extending platform of Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan to all states
The CKC has decided to support the decision of Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) to form its platform in all states within the next three months as the largest united peasant body against communal and neoliberal danger and to unleash issue based struggles.
The AIKS will undertake massive campaigns to forge unity of secular and progressive forces in rural India to overcome the efforts by RSS and Sanghpariwar organisations to divide the peasantry on caste, communal and divisive ways. Village level campaigns will be undertaken in the coming months to expose the venomous activities to break the unity of Indian people thus to weaken the country and its people.
34th All India Conference at Hissar, Haryana in October 2017
The CKC decided to hold 34th AIKS conference in the first week of October 2017 at Hissar, Haryana. 731 delegates will attend the conference from 25 state units. The conference will plan concrete action plan to advance the Kisan movement in North Indian states and also to develop issue based united mass and class movement all over the country against both Neo liberal policies and communal forces.
Solidarity with peasant struggle in Rajasthan against hike in power tariff
The CKC extended full solidarity to the peasantry of Rajasthan who are engaged in vibrant massive struggles against the enormous hike in power tariff by the BJP led Vasunadara Raje government. AIKS President Amra Ram and General Secretary Hannan Mollah will join the massive March to Rajasthan Assembly at Jaipur on 2nd March, 2017.
The press conference was attended by
Hannan Mollah, General Secretary
N K Shukla, Joint Secretary
P Krishnaprasad, Finance Secretary
New Delhi, 17th February 2017
