People's Democracy

AIAWU Campaign Begins

MEETING at New Delhi on July 26 and 27, with its president Paturu Ramayya in chair, the central working committee of the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) heard reports from different states indicating lack of work fot this class on account of mechanisation of agriculture, flood and drought conditions. Apart from these, government employment in development activity has gone down and even the food for work programme is using machines instead of workers, defeating its very objective. At the same time, prices of food items are rising, making it impossible for the largely unemployed agricultural workers to buy food. Despite huge stocks rotting in the FCI godowns, starvation affects almost all states, with nearly 3000 dying of hunger in Andhra alone, where AIAWU and like-minded organisations set up 203 camps to provide immediate relief. Such conditions lead to bondage, sexual exploitation of migrant labour and the sale of children.

In this serious situation, the AIAWU has called for an immediate campaign at the village level (with every one of our district committee members actively participating) on the failure of the government to provide drought relief, food for work and famine relief to the poor; food thorough the PDS at Antodaya and Annapoorna rates to all below the poverty lines; a living wage, employment and land to the tiller and social amenities. This programme must begin immediately and go on through to August 15, when a memorandum or demands charter would be submitted to district and local authorities.

From September 1 to October 1, state committees will take up issues like a revision of minimum wages and a guarantee of 122 days work to each agricultural labourer; state level comprehensive legislation for agricultural labour; a comprehensive central legislation for this class; and the demand for BPL cards for all agricultural labour and rations at affordable rates, to be coupled with local issues. This campaign would culminate with the presentation of demand charters to government offices by mass deputations, with the agitation to speed implementation to be undertaken in October and November.

The meeting also fixed a membership quota of 34,12,000 to be completed for this year, and finalised last year’s membership at 28,51,466. The meeting decided to hold a class of the northern leaders in Uttar Pradesh and for the south in Bangalore, in December. The meeting condoled the deaths of Comrades Jag Mohan and Sohan Singh Basi (former working committee and general council Members). It co-opted veteran Telengana comrade K Krishnamurthy as a permanent invitee to the central working committee.

The meeting was attended by S R Pillai, A Vijayaraghavan, Suneet Chopra, Hannan Mollah, and Sarangadhar Paswan from the centre; Ambika Prasad Mishra and Brij Lal Bharti (UP); Dinesh Kumar (Bihar); Vasudev Jamsher (Punjab); C T Krishnan and T Chattu (Kerala); N Venkataswamy, B Venkat, T Nirmala and K Krishnamurthy (Andhra); N Nityanand Swamy (Karnataka); Bhura Mal Swami (Rajasthan); Dharamvir Singh (Haryana), Kumar Shiralkar (Maharashtra) and S Thirunavakkarasu (Tamilnadu).