People's Democracy

AIKS, AIAWU Call For Action

 To Get Drought Relief

THE All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) have called upon all their units to immediately take up the case of the peasantry and agricultural workers of most states reeling under the impact of severe drought conditions. They called for a movement to ensure that the affected districts are declared drought-hit, the loans and taxes of farmers and agricultural workers are waived and compensation is given for crops and days of work lost.

In a joint statement issued on July 29, K Varadha Rajan, general secretary of AIKS and A Vijayaraghavan, general secretary of AIAWU stated that a campaign will be launched between August 17 and September 1 for the implementation of these demands. This campaign will culminate in picketing, rasta roko, rail roko, bandh and gherao of BDO offices and FCI godowns They made it clear that this agitation will be continued beyond September until the central and state governments actually take steps to meet the needs of millions of people facing extremely difficult conditions.

Another important demand raised by these organisations is the immediate implementation of the food for work programme with the central government providing adequate food grains from its massive stocks as well as funds so that two-thirds of the wages are paid in foodgrains and one third in cash. They also demanded that an immediate programme of distributing cattle feed at subsidized rates to the drought-hit areas be introduced.

Expressing alarm at the complete failure of the BJP-led government at the centre to deal with this real threat of famine and wide spread destruction of our cattle wealth, the two bodies stated " it is shameful that the Government is sitting on 66 million tonnes of grain and is watching people starve. Despite drought conditions, farmers are being imprisoned to extract loan payments and dues, water-sharks have begun to sell water at Rs. 40/- per hour, and agricultural labour, who have no work, are forced to remain without food for at least one day a month, while eating only one meal a day for the rest of the time."

They also called for starting work immediately in Punjab and neighbouring states to dig canals to cope with the possibility of flash floods resulting from glaciers melting in the Himalayas. This water would otherwise have to flow down into the Arabian Sea even if it does not actually break the dams like Bhakra, creating havoc. AIKS and AIAWU have called for mass campaigns and actions to raise demands for immediate provision of adequate electric supply to run tube-wells and pumps, and drinking water to drought hit villages.