People's Democracy

 30,000-Strong Peasant Rally Crowns Kisan Sabha Camp

 Ashok Dhawale

OVER 30,000 peasants from 10 tehsils of Nashik district converged at Surgana on September 12, for a massive rally that crowned the four-day state level study camp of the Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha from September 12 to 15. The Nashik district Kisan Sabha had spared no effort to make this rally a resounding success. The small town of Surgana had been painted red to welcome the leaders and participants in this biggest ever rally to be held there. For the last few years, Nashik district has topped the membership chart of the Maharashtra Kisan Sabha, with an enrolment of over 61,000 last year.

The rally was being held in one of the citadels of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in Maharashtra. The Adivasi majority Surgana constituency has the distinction of having returned a CPI(M) MLA to the state assembly for the last 25 years since 1978, with the solitary exception of 1995. The only other bastion that beats this record is the Adivasi majority Jawhar constituency in adjoining Thane district, which has elected a CPI(M) MLA without a break for 25 years since 1978. Thane district, of course, is the birthplace of the Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha that was founded in 1945 by Shamrao Parulekar and Godavari Parulekar.

The Kisan Sabha and the huge audience were fortunate in having a galaxy of leaders to address this rally. They included AIKS president S Ramachandran Pillai; AIKS joint secretary and West Bengal health, panchayat raj and rural development minister Suryakant Mishra; PWP general secretary N D Patil; CPI(M) state secretary Prabhakar Sanzgiri; CPI state joint secretary Bhalchandra Kango; Shetkari Sanghatana leader Vijay Javandhia; and CITU state secretary D L Karad. AIKS state president Jiva Pandu Gavit, MLA, presided over the rally that was also addressed by AIKS state general secretary Ashok Dhawale.

The speeches at the rally were a treat to hear. Although they all shared a common political perspective --- intensification of the people’s struggle against imperialist globalisation and fascistic communalism --- each speaker highlighted different aspects of the current challenges. Space does not permit a recounting of these speeches, but suffice it to say that this rally and its message will long be remembered by all those who attended it.

Another feature at the rally to remember and cherish was the release of two attractive publications of the Maharashtra Kisan Sabha. The 40-page inaugural issue of the Kisan Sabha quarterly journal Shetkari Sangharsh (Peasant Struggle) was jointly released by S Ramachandran Pillai and Suryakant Mishra. Another 100-page special volume, Great Peasant Leaders of Maharashtra, was jointly released by Prabhakar Sanzgiri and N D Patil. This comprised inspiring articles on the life and work of five outstanding peasant leaders of the state in the 20th century --- Shamrao Parulekar, Godavari Parulekar, Krantisimha Nana Patil, Karmaveer Dadasaheb Gaikwad and R B More.

The state camp that began the same evening was attended by 291 leading Kisan Sabha cadres from 22 districts. After the inaugural speech by AIKS state working president L B Dhangar, five main subjects were taken in this camp: (1) Review of Work on the Kisan Front and Our Future Tasks --- S Ramachandran Pillai; (2) Historical Experience of the Peasant Movement in West Bengal --- Suryakant Mishra; (3) History of the All India Kisan Sabha and Our Perspective of the Agrarian Revolution --- Krishna Khopkar; (4) The Noose of Globalisation Around Indian Agriculture --- Vijay Javandhia; and (5) Agitational and Organisational Challenges before the Maharashtra Kisan Sabha --- Ashok Dhawale. All the subjects were taken in a lucid manner, followed by question-answer sessions.

In another session, apart from these main topics, concise and relevant information was given about five important issues that will form the focus of coming peasant struggles. These were: (1) Land --- Jaisingh Mali; (2) Water --- Krishna Khopkar; (3) Power --- Pandurang Rathod and Ramesh Thakur; (4) Sugarcane --- Dr Subhash Jadhav; (5) Cotton --- Dada Raipure. The different sessions of the camp were collectively conducted by AIKS state office bearers Nanasaheb Pokle, Lahanu Kom, Ghanashyam Patil, Arjun Adey, Shankar Danav and Ramesh Devre.

In another special session, districtwise group discussions were held to draw up a plan for Kisan Sabha work in the coming one year, and district leaders reported their decisions to the delegates on the last day of the camp. An extended meeting of the Maharashtra State Kisan Council, attended by over 100 leading cadres, was held at night; its decisions were also reported to the delegates on the last day. The camp concluded with a remarkable speech by AIKS state president Jiva Pandu Gavit, and with a heartfelt vote of thanks to all activists and volunteers of the Nashik District Kisan Sabha.

The study camp effectively geared the Maharashtra Kisan Sabha towards specific agitational and organisational tasks that will culminate in its 19th state conference at Chandrapur in February 2004. Peasant struggles on concrete issues will be launched in the days ahead. A series of village, tehsil and district conferences will be held to strengthen the organisation. Particular stress will be given to remove the chronic weakness in organising peasant women.

The Maharashtra State Kisan Sabha has advanced from a membership of 70,000 in 10 districts in 1994-95 to a membership of 1,55,162 in 26 districts in 2002-03. Now the aim is to cross the two lakh membership mark by the coming state conference.