People's Democracy

IT was a quite different look on August 30 at the district headquarters of Anantnag. Though various transporters went on strike against a mine blast in which a local bus driver was killed along with five army personnel and two civilians, hundreds of kisans marched through the main market in Anantnag town, waving the bundles of their damaged paddy crop in their hands. The demonstration was organised by the Jammu & Kashmir Kisan Tehreek, an AIKS affiliate.

It will be noted that it was the third consecutive year of drought in Kashmir valley. Moreover, this year, it has been accompanied by a dangerous disease called "blast." This disease has so far damaged more than 30 per cent of agriculture crops, both wet and dry, and still continues to spread. Agriculture experts have strongly expressed the opinion that the present crop damage is the result of imbalanced use of the spurious and sub-standard weedisides, fertilisers and infected and infertile seeds at large scale.

The changes in Kashmir valley are also adding one more factor. Kisans have got most severely affected by the serious lack of work culture which the 12 long years of militancy has bequeathed. Nobody bothers to provide them with any in-time guidance or advice about the available facilities or technical know-how, particularly the method and degree of use of different varieties of HYV seeds or weedisides. According to expert opinion, herein lies the basic cause of the latest "blast" disease.

The kisans’ procession started from the Sports Stadium of Anantnag town and was enthusiastically received by the common people in the market. It was led by J&K Kisan Tehreek’s general secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik, its district president Abdul Hamid, other leaders of the Tehreek and by DYFI leader Mohd Yaqoob. The processionists marched via the main market to the historic Lal Chowk where a rally was held. It may be noted that in an atmosphere where militancy has brought all political activity to a standstill, it is the Kisan Tehreek alone that has organised a procession and demonstration. The recent demonstration was the second in the series.

Returning from the rally, the programme concluded at the Kisan Tehreek’s district committee office in Anantnag. (INN)