Agricultural Labour Spell Out Their Rights

ON October 5, 2005, four Left-led agricultural labour organisations – the All India Agricultural Workers Union, Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union, Samyukta Kisan Sabha and Krishi Shramik Union –  held a day-long convention in Constitution Club, New Delhi, attended by agricultural workers leaders covering the country from Manipur to Rajasthan, Punjab to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It was presided over by four members of parliament representing each of the four organisations – A Vijayraghavan (AIAWU), Ajay Chakraborty (BKMU), Hiten Burman (KSU) and Abani roy (SKS).

Addressing the convention from the four Left parties, Hannan Mollah, CPI(M), secretariat member; Atul Kumar Anjan (CPI), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) and Abani Roy (RSP) on behalf of their parties pledged support to the ongoing struggle for agricultural workers’ rights, notably the passage of a comprehensive central legislation for agricultural labour. This of course is a long standing demand of the agricultural labour movement, in existence in draft form since 1980, discussed at the cabinet-level under the V P Singh government, but was scuttled by the landlord lobby. Nevertheless, the agricultural labour organisations in the country have continued to fight relentlessly for the passage of this bill. Now that it is part of the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA government, the organised agricultural labour movement is determined to ensure its passage in the coming session of parliament.

AGRICULTURAL LABOUR RIGHTS

A resolution on agricultural labour rights was jointly placed by Nagendranath Ojha general secretary, BKMU in Hindi, and by Suneet Chopra, joint secretary of AIAWU in English. The resolution drew attention to the enormous growth in the landless labourers from 7.46 crore in 1991 to 10.74 crore in 2001, i.e from 34.1 per cent of the rural work force in 1972-73 to no less than 42.3 per cent in 1993-94, 71 per cent of these live below the poverty line, and since 1991 over 1 crore regularly migrate from state to state looking for work. Today the figure is likely to be twice as many.

In such dire circumstances, their problems are manifold, ranging from social ostracism and oppression to brutal exploitation, bondage and physical restraint. No less than 35.5 per cent are deeply in debt. The manner in which technological advances are introduced affect them adversely because mechanisation instead of being used to increase productivity along with expanding employment has meant loss of opportunities for work; the unabated use of chemical pesticides exposes them to dangers against which they are not protected, and they are excluded from even the few sops the government offers. Worse still, they are often not paid minimum wages. There is no such thing as equal wages for equal work for men and women. To add to their misery, the NDA government raised administered prices of the PDS to the point where they have gone beyond their pockets. While even the resources available are denied to them, the Planning Commission’s 1978 estimate some 2 crore acres of land available for distribution. Out of this only 73.67 lakh acres were declared surplus, of which only 53.74 lakh acres were actually distributed.  

CHARTER OF DEMANDS

In these conditions, they have to fight for their rights on every front. To facilitate this fight, the resolution drew up a charter of 23 demands. Comprehensive central legislation for agricultural labour; implementation of land reform programme for distributing land to the landless; provision of house sites; pensions, the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREG); special schemes for women labourers; suitable amendments to the Inter State Migrant Labour Act (1979) to protect agricultural labour; fixation of minimum wages on a scientific basis; strict regulation for the use of toxic chemicals and compensation for injury; arresting atrocities against SC/ST; job reservations in the private sector; free education for agricultural labourers’ children; safe drinking water and public lavatories for women labourers; a properly functioning PDS; free electric supply for agricultural labour households; the ending of bonded labour and rehabilitation of those freed from bondage; bank credit cards for agricultural labourers; separate agricultural labour Welfare Boards: ensuring the corruption free implementation of poverty alleviation schemes.

The resolution was supported by various organisation in the different states: AIAWU (Rajasthan), KSU (UP), SKS (AP), AIAWU (Maharashtra), BKMU (AP), UTUC (West Bengal), BKMU (Tamil Nadu), BKMU (Manipur), AIAWU (Punjab), BKMU (Punjab), AIAWU(Haryana), BKMU (Maharashtra), AIAWU (UP) etc.

Summing up the discussion, Suneet Chopra, joint secretary, AIAWU, asked the delegates to carry back the message of this convention of rights to their state, district and lower level units, enriching its content and sending the feed back to their respective all India centres. He urged them not to restrict the discussions only to their members but to carry them to like-minded organisations functioning among agricultural labour in their states and districts, ensuring the widest possible circulation of the document. Then the four organisations would come together again to work out an agenda of struggle.

On behalf of the presidium, A Vijayaraghavan, AIAWU general secretary, placed the resolution for adoption and it was unanimously adopted. The conference ended amid slogan shouting after the vote of thanks by V S Nirmal, BKMU joint secretary. (INN)