People's Democracy

Bihar AIAWU Analyses State Situation

MEETING at Patna recently, the Bihar Khet Majdoor Union took stock of the situation prevailing in the state. Presided over by Sarangdhar Paswan, the meeting was attended by 16 members from 11 districts and Hannan Mollah from the centre.

The BKMU is an affiliate of All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU).

There was going on a land struggle in Nawada and some protest actions against eviction were organised. The serious crisis of drinking water in Gaya was also taken up. There is widespread starvation in Rohtas and one of the BKMU supporters died there. Criminals are attacking the BKMU supporters at various places at the behest of landlords. Atrocities on Dalits are taking place. Two Dalits were killed in Nawada and one Dalit woman was raped. Shyam Kamat of the BKMU was attacked in Sopoul and there was an attempt to evict one Bacheswar Lohar. In Patna, goondas occupied Budhan Paswan’s land. Attacks on Dalits also occurred in Andouli village and their homes were burnt down in Vikram block. In Madhubani, Sukhlal Safi’s family was attacked, his house destroyed and land occupied. When the BKMU state committee member Sondhanu Yadav’s protested against it, his house was raided by the landlord’s goondas and his life was in danger. A huge protest meeting was held in Kalyanpur village against that attack. Gulabchand, a Dalit of Patione village in Gaya, was kidnapped and his land snatched. Balmiki Prasad of Hasanpur in Nalanda was beaten up by land mafias but the police did not take action.

The food for work is programme is not being executed at any place as per the government’s directions; contractors and machines are used everywhere. Agricultural workers are not getting any jobs. The BKMU organised protest in many villages against such practices. In Samastipur, contractors threatened BKMU leaders within the BDO office for their protest against contractisation of  work.

The meeting expressed grave concern over such growing attacks and failure of the government to protect the poor agricultural workers. It also condemned the loot and corruption in the food for work programme and decided to organise protest meetings, rallies and gheraos of sarpanches and BDO offices. A statewide campaign on wage, 100 days work, a central act for agricultural workers, universal PDS, end of the APL/BPL distinction, etc was conducted and rallies held before block offices on July 9.

The BKMU also decided to protest the attacks or atrocities on Dalits, tribals and women, fight back wherever such incidents take place, and also strengthen the social reform movement.

Another decision was to organise seminars on land reforms, jointly with the All India Kisan Sabha, in all district centres. Meetings will be held on the martyrdom day of Comrade Ajit Sarkar. There is need to streamline the membership enrolment. A decision to hold anchal and district conferences from July to September was also taken; the process will be completed, but the state conference in Madhubani district will take place after the state assembly elections. A draft constitution of the state organisation has been prepared and circulated, and it will be finalised in the next conference.