People's Democracy

August Campaign In Drought-Hit Assam

Isfaqur Rahman

IT was savage floods in the preceding years; now severe drought has ravaged the agriculture and rural economy in Assam. The drought situation now prevailing in the state has been unprecedented and unheard of. The state government has formally declared a ‘drought like’ condition in the state and sent an SOS to the centre for help in tackling the situation the like of which it has never faced before. Officially, more than 6.22 lakh hectares of cultivable land and 12.44 lakh farmers have been affected. Poor peasants and agricultural labourers are the worst hit. The government has listed 22 districts as drought affected.

In fact the Congress-led government in Assam has totally failed in tackling the situation and bringing succour to the affected farmers. Irrigation facilities have been virtually non-existent in the state. Only 6 percent of the cultivable land in Assam has been covered by irrigation schemes. However, most of the schemes and projects, which were introduced earlier, have been idle and non-functioning for decades. The state government has been a silent spectator to the woes and worries of the people.

In spite of the unprecedented and distressing drought situation, however, there has been growing enthusiasm for and massive response to the call of the nationwide August campaign in Assam. The campaign was meant to highlight the CPI(M)’s political platform with its alternative economic policies, for addressing the immediate problems of the farmers and other sections of the working people, for strengthening the public distribution system (PDS) and controlling the price-line of essential commodities, for an independent foreign policy and against all forms of communalism. The unprecedented drought situation and demands for relief measures and irrigation facilities were also highlighted during the campaign.

The campaign was launched throughout the state by holding group meetings, GB meetings, street corner meetings, local level rallies and demonstrations, public meetings, processions etc, which culminated in district level rallies, meetings, processions and demonstrations in the month of August and in the first week of September.

District level rallies with huge participation of the people were held at Guwahati, Rangia, Silchar, Barpeta, Nagaon, Manikpur, Tezpur, Nalbari, Dhubri and North Lakhimpur.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Biman Basu kickstarted the district level mobilisations in Assam by addressing a huge gathering at Rangia town on August 20. The Rangia meeting was the culmination of a series of popular campaigns organised by the Kamrup district committee of the party. A total of 14 public meetings were held at different localities in the month of August. Various local committees also held street corner meetings and GB meetings throughout the district.

Addressing the rallyists, Biman Basu explained the political platform of the CPI(M) and attacked the anti-people policies of the UPA government at the centre. Basu charged the Congress led governments with deviating from the Common Minimum Programme and demanded massive investments for agriculture, rural economy and employment generation. The CPI(M) leader also expressed concern over the distressing agrarian situation in the drought hit Assam. Braving scorching sun, around three thousand people from every nook and corner of the district participated in this public meeting held in the sprawling lawn in front of the Haradutta-Viradutta Bhawan campus. It was presided over by the CPI(M) Kamrup district secretary Purno Boro and addressed among others by its state secretary Uddhab Barman and Ananta Deka, the newly elected CPI(M) MLA from Rangia.

The Rangia meeting was followed by another district-level meeting in the state capital Guwahati on the same day. The meeting held at Lakshidhar Bora Khetra near Dighali Pukhuri was organised by the Kamrup (Metro) district committee of the CPI(M) and was chaired by Samir Das. 

Addressing the 2,000 strong gathering, Biman Basu pinpointed the charges against the Congress-led UPA government and demanded speedy implementation of the pro-people policies incorporated in the CMP. He also explained the achievements of the Left Front governments of West Bengal and Tripura and the alternative policies being implemented by the LDF government in Kerala. The CPI(M) Polit Bureau member also warned against Indo-US nuclear deal and pro-imperialist tilt of the central government. Condemning the illegal occupation of Iraq and the Israeli savagery in Palestine and Lebanon, Biman Basu held the US imperialists squarely responsible for killings and mayhems around the globe. The CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman, who is also an MLA, severely criticised the Assam government for its failure to initiate relief measures for the drought-hit people of the state.

On August 21, the Cachar-Hailakandi district committee organised a district level rally and meeting at Silchar, with around 3,000 people participating in it. The main speaker was Nilotpal Basu, a CPI(M) Central Committee member and former Rajya Sabha member. In his hard-hitting speech, Basu came down heavily on the anti-people policies of the UPA government. The meeting was also addressed among others by Central Committee member Noorul Huda, with Deepak Bhattacharya presiding.

On August 22, with district level mobilisation, a hall meeting was organised at Barpeta town by the Barpeta district committee of the party. Around 1,500 people participated. Addressing the jampacked auditorium in the district library, West Bengal minister Gautam Deb and Central Committee member Hemen Das explained the alternative platform of the CPI(M) and charged the central government with dilution and violation of the CMP. The meeting was also addressed by state secretariat member Durgeswar Deka, with Nizamuddin Khan in the chair.

On August 23, the Nagaon district committee organised a district level hall meeting at Nagaon town. It was addressed by Central Committee member Khagen Das, MP, and state secretariat member Ajit Das. 

On August 27, the Kokrajhar-Bongaigaon district committee of the party organised a district level rally and meeting at Manikpur where more than 3,500 people participated. The meeting was addressed by Tarini Roy, MP, and Hemen Das.

On August 29, the Tezpur meeting organised by the Sonitpur district committee was attended by more than 2,500 people. The meeting was held at Hem Boruah Hall premises. Addressing the gathering, Central Committee member Md Salim, MP, expressed shock and concern at the unprecedented drought situation in the state and demanded central assistance to tackle the situation. State secretariat member Rabin Tamuli also addressed the meeting which was presided over by senior district leader Hem Boruah.

On August 30, the Nalbari district committee organised a meeting at Nalbari town, addressed among others by Md Salim and Ananta Deka.

Md Salim also visited the drought-hit areas in the state and shared the sufferings of the people at Rangia, Nalabari, Tezpur, Mongaldoi and other places. He was accompanied by state secretariat member Ajit Das. After returning from Assam, Salim addressed a letter to the union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on August 31 and urged him for central help to the drought-hit people of the state.

On August 31, the Dhubri district committee organised a public meeting at Dhubri town, addressed among others by state secretariat member Monoranjan Talukdar.

On September 4, the Lakhimpur district committee organised a district level rally and meeting at North Lakhimpur town; more than 1,000 people were mobilised from different parts of the district. The meeting was presided over by senior district leader Hem Goswami and addressed among others by Ananta Deka and Isfaqur Rahman, both state secretariat members. After the meeting, the slogan shouting rallyists paraded through the main streets, staged a huge dharna in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and presented a memorandum demanding relief to the drought-affected people, proper implementation of the NREGA etc.

Apart from the district mobilisations, party committees in different districts organised local level rallies, demonstrations etc, highlighting the national issues raised by the CPI(M) and also pinpointing the demands for land, food and employment.