People's Democracy

ANOTHER JATHA FLAGGED OFF FROM SUBROOM, TRIPURA

Encouraging Response To AIKS Jathas

Benoy Konar flagging off the jatha in Subroom, Tripura

Haripada Das & I Vasudevan

THE All India Kisan Sabha jathas are rolling on across the country to encouraging response from the peasantry who are associating with the demands of the jatha programme and welcoming the jathas enthusiastically. At the time of writing this, the Southern jatha led by AIKS general secretary K Varadha Rajan has crossed over into Karnataka after traversing Tamilnadu and Kerala where numerous successful meetings were held.

Meanwhile, the North-East, East and North jatha was flagged off from Subroom, the southern most sub divisional town of Tripura on November 6. The march began with a vow to herald the need for a nationwide intensified united struggle to save agriculture, save kisans and save the nation. 

Benoy Konar, vice president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) flagged off the jatha amidst loud cheers of thousands of kisans. The jatha which is at present on its way to Guwahati has been warmly greeted by kisans and other sections of the people at various places. Benoy Konar also addressed another huge gathering at Bishramganj of Bishalgarh sub division under West Tripura on the same day. Apart from Benoy Konar, the mass rally at Subroom was addressed by Narayan Kar, secretary, AIKS, Tripura, Gourkanti Goswami, MLA, Bajuban Riyan, MP and Sunil Chowdhury all local kisan leaders. This jatha evoked a unique struggling spirit among the general kisan masses of the state. 

While addressing the rallies in Subroom and Bishramganj, Benoy Konar gave a clarion call to the kisan masses to compel the central government by means of uncompromising struggle to reverse the present anti-peasant policies pursued by them. The central government is devastating the livelihood of farmers by adopting globalisation and liberalisation policies. The open door policy of lifting all barriers for the foreign goods including agricultural produce has caused deprivation of indigenous farmers and a loss of the remunerative prices for their produce. While the advanced countries like Britain and US are providing subsidies to the farmers at a high rate, ironically, UPA government has drastically reduced subsidy to our farmers from 11 percent to 3 percent. The prices of fertilisers, seeds and pesticides and other agri inputs have gone up many times. To add salt to the wounds, ill-intentioned importers stockpile huge agri-produce during harvesting period and thus push the indigenous farmers to sell their produce at throwaway prices. In addition, the peasants find themselves nowhere to go when their crop fails due to drought and flood, as there is no crop-insurance. So the peasant prefers to perish by hanging himself or consuming poison, said Benoy Konar. He informed that from 1995 to 2003, 1.38 lakh peasants have committed suicide in the country. This is mainly the consequent effect of the globalisation policy and the plight of the farmers will deteriorate further in the coming days, he warned. He also severely criticised the crop insurance policy which according to him, shall come to no use if it is not extended to the gram panchayat level.

The jatha will enter Assam on November 7 and a huge rally will be held in Guwahati on November 8. 

The jatha headed by K Vardha Rajan toured the entire 14 districts of Kerala. In many places, people braving heavy rains came in thousands to receive the jatha. On November 1 it started its Kerala programme from Thriuvananthapuram. At each centre CPI(M) and mass organisation activists and leaders received the jatha. The reception it received in Alappuzha, Idduki, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Malappuram Wyanad, Kozhikode, and Kannur was quite massive.

In Palakkad, Wayanad, and Kasarkode, where most of the suicides committed in the state happened, people came out in good numbers to show their support to the AIKS and the LDF which is fighting for them.

After successfully finishing its Kerala programme, the jatha entered Karnataka at Hosangadi on November 7, 2006 and it will tour the state till November 12. 

The second jatha from Kanyakumari led by K Balakrishnan secretary of Tamilnadu Vyavasayikal Sangam on November 1 finished touring the state on November 6 and entered Andhra Pradesh on November 7. Despite heavy rains due to cyclonic depression, the jatha has received good response from the farmers. 

The enthusiasam created by the two jathas shows that the slogan raised by AIKS ‘Save Peasantry, Save Agriculture, Save Nation’, and ‘No to Suicide, Unite and Fight’ has been well received by the peasants, said K Varadha Rajan. He said that the vast majority of peasants and agricultural workers and other toiling masses and democratic minded people are identifying with the AIKS demands and that these slogans reflected the grave situation the nation in facing since agriculture in the basis of our country’s economy. In his speeches in various public meetings and press conferences Varadha Rajan demanded the central government to accept the recommendations of M S Swaminathan Commission report immediately. The recommendations are pending with the central government nearly for a month. Many of the recommendations are aimed at saving the agriculture and farmers and agricultural workers. Despite the prime minister announcing so-called packages for Vidharbha and other places the number of farmers committing suicide has been increasing. He demanded that along with the packages there should be immediate action to save the farmers from debt trap. A Debt survey should be conducted immediately and low interest finance should be made available to farmers. Allowing of imported foodgrains and other agricultural produce has to be stopped immediately, he demanded. 

Another part of the North East and Eastern jatha began from Berhampur, in Orissa on November 2. It was inaugurated by Suryakantha Misra, minister for health and panchayats, Govt of Bengal and joint secretary of AIKS. The jatha is led by Abhiram Behra. The jatha visited various parts of Orissa and hundreds of peasants, agriculture workers and tribals received it in various centre. Many sub jathas are also touring the interior places. On November 7 after finishing Orissa programme, the jatha entered West Bengal at Dantam. After visiting West Bengal and Jharkhand it will enter Bihar.

As has been reported earlier, all the jathas will converge in a massive Kisan rally in Delhi (Ramlila ground) on November 20 which will be addressed various kisan leaders and mass organisation leaders. The rally will declare further agitational programme.