People's Democracy

THE Joint Action Committee comprising seven organisations of Indian peasants and agricultural workers met on February 7 evening and reviewed the relief work being done to help the earthquake-affected people of Gujarat. It also deplored the attitude and actions of both the Gujarat state government and central government towards the people's sufferings. These organisations are the All India Kisan Sabha (4, Ashoka Road), All India Kisan Sabha (Ajoy Bhavan), All India Agricultural Workers Union, Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union, Agragami Kisan Sabha, Krishi Shramik Union and Samyukta Kisan Sabha.

Earlier, these organisations had postponed their programme of picketing before the central government offices countrywide, then scheduled to take place on February 5 to 7, in view of the severe earthquake in Gujarat. They had then called upon the people in general and peasantry and agricultural workers in particular to rush all possible help to the suffering people. While the people in general are coming forward to contribute for the relief work in cash and kind, the attitude of both the state and central governments is lethargic and sectarian. The main responsibility of relief distribution has been handed over to the RSS in the name of involving the NGOs, and there are widespread complaints of discrimination and negligence in relief work. These organisations accused the central government of trying to utilise this natural calamity and the people’s sufferings for pushing forward its economic agenda --- more liberalisation, more privatisation, no subsidy for agriculture, no quantitative restriction on imports, more invitation to the MNCs in agriculture sector, no procurement, no public distribution system, no public investment for irrigation and power, no land reforms, hand-over of all the waste or government land to the corporate sector and MNCs, no central legislation for agricultural workers, more tax burdens, more hike in train fares and so more price-rise of all the consumer goods, etc. However, the JAC warned that all these attacks and burdens on the people in the name of earthquake will not be accepted.

The JAC condemned the anti-peasant, anti-agricultural worker attitude of the central government and warned that if it does not desist from its path, peasants and agricultural workers will be forced to organise a nationwide resistance movement. Now the JAC has decided to organise the picketing of the central government offices on March 29-30 throughout the country. It has appealed to the democratic people in general and the peasantry and agricultural workers in particular to come forward to make this protest movement a success.

Hannan Mollah (AIAWU) presided over the meeting. Others present were S R Pillai and N K Shukla (AIKS, 4, Ashoka Road), Atul Kumar Anjan (AIKS, Ajoy Bhawan), Abani Roy (Samyukta Kisan Sabha), Suneet Chopra (AIAWU), V S Nirmal (BKMU), D D Shastri (Krishi Shramik Union) and Bir Singh Mahato (Agragami Kisan Sabha).