People's Democracy

CLARION CALL OF 30TH AIKS ALL INDIA CONFERENCE

Unleash Mighty Struggles

 Ashok Dhawale

 “THE 30th conference of the All India Kisan Sabha is being held at a place known for its historical importance. This place has given birth to worthy sons like Bhagat Singh and many of the Ghadar heroes. It was a stronghold of the Akali movement, of the Babbar Akalis and remains a stronghold of the Left and democratic movement in the state. The Doaba peasantry has been steeled in struggles – whether it be the Moga morcha, the anti-betterment levy struggle or the various other struggles fought in Punjab. This conference is being held in the Ghadar party memorial hall. This should provide inspiration to our comrades coming from all over the country.

 “I am sure that in the ensuing days, when you are here, you will discuss the report that would be placed by the general secretary, discuss the problems before the agrarian scenario and enlighten and enliven the discussions with your own experience. I am sure this conference will go a long way in carrying forward the slogans of developing the Kisan Sabha to every village in the country and preparing the peasantry for mightier struggles. West Bengal has shown us the path to build a powerful peasant movement and organisation. With the rising anger of the peasantry against the disastrous agrarian policies, the iron is hot. And now is the time to strike!”     

It was with these inspiring words that Harkishan Singh Surjeet, veteran AIKS leader and CPI(M) general secretary, inaugurated the 30th national conference of the All India Kisan Sabha at Jalandhar on March 6, 2003. (The text of Surjeet’s inaugural speech was carried in these columns last week)  

The 30th AIKS conference at Jalandhar, Punjab, was being held exactly four years after the 29th AIKS conference at Kozhikode, Kerala, in March 1999. In the intervening period, AIKS units all over the country had led several concerted struggles on the burning issues of the peasantry. As a result, AIKS membership had risen from 1,28,45,248 in 1997-98 to 1,57,72,167 in 2001-02 – an increase of nearly 30 lakh in four years! 692 delegates representing this membership from 23 states had gathered here to review past activities and to plan future advance.  

They were joined by foreign fraternal delegates representing the TUI (WFTU) and peasant organisations of China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Also attending the conference to express their solidarity were leaders of the CITU, AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI, SFI and also leaders of the AIKS (Ajoy Bhavan) and a section of the Shetkari Sanghatana.

The conference began amidst great enthusiasm with the AIKS red flag being hoisted by Harkishan Singh Surjeet, followed by the floral tributes to martyrs. The conference was presided over by AIKS president S Ramachandran Pillai. The condolence resolution and the resolution on martyrs were moved by AIKS joint secretary N K Shukla. The conference paid respectful homage to departed stalwarts of the kisan and the democratic movement, like Benoy Krishna Choudhary, N Prasad Rao, M Hanumantha Rao, Sailen Dasgupta, Samar Choudhary, Susheela Gopalan, Vimal Ranadive, Niren Ghosh, Shanti Ghatak, Surya Narayan Rao, M Udayam, E M Sreedharan, and many others. It also paid homage to Durga Bhabhi, Ayodhya Singh, Mohd Israel, Mahadev Saha, Ali Sardar Jafri, Kaifi Azmi and Ram Bilas Sharma. The conference dipped its red banner in memory of all martyrs, including Ram Nath Mahato and Vidya Ram Rajak.   

Reception committee chairman and Punjab Kisan Sabha president Rachhpal Singh, while welcoming the delegates, recalled the glorious revolutionary traditions of Punjab and expressed the confidence that the AIKS conference being held on this hallowed soil would give a new and powerful direction to future peasant struggles all over the country. The foreign fraternal delegates were introduced and welcomed. The conference was then inaugurated by Harkishan Singh Surjeet.  

AIKS general secretary K Varadha Rajan placed the agenda and time-table of the conference, which was unanimously adopted. The three conference committees that were elected were as follows: Minutes committee: O Sankaran, S P Tiwari, Ashutosh Mukherjee; Credentials committee: Bayya Reddy, Mukut Singh, Biplab Mazumdar, M Prakashan, P Shanmugham; Resolutions committee: Benoy Konar, N K Shukla, Ashok Dhawale.  

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

In his presidential address, S Ramachandran Pillai congratulated the Punjab unit of the Kisan Sabha for hosting an All India AIKS conference for the fifth time. He recalled the glorious legacy of Punjab’s contribution to the freedom struggle and to the peasant movement.

Strongly denouncing the US war drive against Iraq, he said, “The United States aims to occupy Iraq to control its rich oil resources and to send a message to other countries that US orders must be obeyed to avoid its wrath…it is also threatening the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea… US imperialism is using its military superiority to establish its domination over the economic and political life of other countries. If the US succeeds in this, the emerging world situation would be a dangerous one.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Pillai then recalled the glorious anti-imperialist traditions of the AIKS when he said, “The AIKS was formed during India’s freedom struggle against the British colonial power. The Kisan Sabha has been consistently fighting against imperialism, its exploitation and its efforts to dominate. Upholding the banner of anti-imperialism, all units and members of the Kisan Sabha should come forward and unite with all sections of people to oppose the US war efforts."

Linking up imperialist-dictated policies to the crisis in Indian agriculture, Pillai said, “Our fight against US imperialism is intimately and inherently connected with our fight against IMF-World Bank-WTO dictated economic policies…India and most of the developing countries are witnessing crash in prices in the case of most of the agricultural produce. This is the result of the conditionalities imposed by WTO. Multinational companies are expanding their tentacles in the agrarian sector and are exploiting the wealth of the developing countries and also the peasants and agricultural workers.

“Now discussions are going on in the World Trade Organisation on agriculture and related issues. The USA is forcing developing countries to accept its dictates. Military superiority is used to exert pressure on developing countries. A broader unity of all developing countries is needed to resist the US and other imperialist countries’ attempt to dictate terms. But India is losing its credibility and acceptability in the international community and is being isolated as a result of the pro-American stand taken by the BJP-led NDA government.”

Pillai then came down heavily on the BJP-led central government when he said, “The NDA government at the centre is the worst anti-peasant government India has ever seen. It takes care of the interests of only multinational companies, big business and richer sections…The agricultural policy of the present government has ruined the life of the peasantry and agriculture. Starvation deaths and peasant suicides are happening in different parts of the country. Poverty is spreading to newer sections and newer areas. Unemployment is rising. Backwardness is persisting in major parts of the country. Pauperisation of the peasantry is taking place at a faster pace.” 

“The All India Kisan Sabha stands for a strategy of agricultural development centered around the interests of the overwhelming majority of the peasantry. The essence of this strategy is to increase productivity and production and ensure equity. Instead of retreat of the State from economic affairs, the All India Kisan Sabha demands the State’s positive intervention.”

Dealing at length with the growing danger of communalism and casteism which weakens the fighting strength and unity of the people, he called upon all AIKS units to launch an uncompromising fight against both these evils, taking forward the rich heritage of the AIKS of struggling against all varieties of communalism and all forms of caste oppression.

S Ramachandran Pillai then concluded with the call, “The dictates of the international institutions, MNCs and imperialist countries have to be resisted. The anti-peasant, anti-agricultural policies of the NDA government have to be reversed. The country needs a new strategy of agricultural development centered around the interest of the poorer sections who constitute the overwhelming majority. The widest possible unity of the peasantry and agricultural workers is needed to achieve these aims…The peasantry should further strengthen unity with workers, middle class employees and all other toiling sections of people…This is an important occasion of serious review of the past activities, assessment of the present agrarian situation in order to formulate the future tasks. I am confident that the conference will efficiently discharge its responsibilities.”

FRATERNAL GREETINGS

The conference was then greeted by the foreign fraternal delegates to a rousing ovation. Atul Kumar Anjan, general secretary of the AIKS (Ajoy Bhavan) and Vijay Javandhia, president of the Shetkari Sanghatana, while conveying their greetings, dwelt upon various aspects of the agrarian crisis and assured the conference of their solidarity in united struggles.

On behalf of the working class, the conference was greeted by CITU general secretary M K Pandhe. After dealing with the grave challenges facing the country, its working class and its peasantry, Pandhe recalled the massive response of the working class of India, supported by the peasantry, to the action call of January 8 for a nationwide jail bharo stir and to the massive Delhi rally of February 26. A call for a nationwide strike will be given soon to channelise the mass discontent of the working people against the LPG policies of the BJP-led central government. While expressing confidence that the AIKS would actively mobilise the peasantry in support of this call, he said that the National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO) has a vital role to play in all future united struggles. The all India leadership of the CITU and the AIKS, he said, would soon meet to seriously chalk out ways to carry forward our common struggle, not only on economic issues, but on political issues as well.

The conference was also greeted by AIAWU general secretary A Vijayaraghavan, who stressed the need for unity in struggle between the peasantry and the agricultural workers. Agricultural workers, he said, were the hardest hit by the new agrarian policies both economically and socially. Hence the struggle had to be on both economic and social planes, which would have to be converted into a political struggle against imperialism and against our own ruling classes.

Among other mass organisation leaders who greeted the conference in later sessions were AIDWA joint secretary Jagmathi, DYFI president K N Balagopal and SFI president K K Ragesh.

Two important resolutions were moved in the inaugural session of the AIKS conference. The resolution against the machinations of US imperialism and the threat to Iraq was moved by AIKS vice president Benoy Konar and was seconded by AIKS joint secretary Bajuban Reang. The resolution congratulating the people of Tripura on the splendid Left Front victory in the assembly elections was moved by AIKS joint secretary Suryakant Mishra and was seconded by AIKS vice president Paloli Mohammed Kutty. The inaugural session of the AIKS conference then concluded.

(To be concluded)