People's Democracy

COMING from Dehradun, Tehri, Chamoli, Almora, Hardwar, Udhamsingh Nagar and other districts, about 50 leading kisan activists met at Dehradun on August 12, under the chairmanship of Surender Singh Sajwan, and decided to form a state organising committee of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in the recently formed Uttaranchal state. From the AIKS centre, AIKS joint secretaries N K Shukla and Mahboob Zahedi, MP, were present. Dinanath Singh, CKC member and secretary of the UP state unit of the AIKS, was also present and guided the proceedings.

After narrating in brief the background of the AIKS’s formation, its contribution in the struggle for freedom and its role in organising various peasant struggles before and after independence, the central leaders explained in detail the present challenges and tasks before the Indian peasant movement in context of the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, vigorously pursued by the present BJP-led NDA government.

The state level cadres meeting noted with concern the adverse impact of the withdrawal of quantitative restrictions on the life of peasants and agricultural workers, particularly in this hilly region where fruits and vegetables are the main crops. The prices of these crops have started declining because of free imports from outside. There is no proper arrangement for marketing. Lack of infrastructure like roads, irrigation, power, transportation, storage, etc, is also adding to the miseries of the majority of people living in this region. The cadres meeting resolved to take up all these burning issues by organising local conventions, meetings of the affected peasantry, making representations to the officials, and holding processions and demonstrations, first at the tehsil and district levels and then at the state headquarters. The meeting also decided to step up the membership enrolment campaign so as to complete the target by the end of year, so that conferences to form regular committees of the AIKS can be organised.

A 14-member state organising committee was formed with Gangadhar Nautial as convenor. Other members include Surender Singh Sajwan, Shiv Prasad Deoli, Kamaruddin and Rajender Purohit from Dehradun; Bhagwan Singh Rana and Bachchi Ram Kauswal from Tehri, Rajpal Katiyar, Bhopal Singh Rawat and Harish Kimothi from Chamoli, and R P Joshi from Almora. Two seats were kept vacant for Hardwar and Udhamsingh Nagar districts. (INN)