People's Democracy

On Land Struggle In Andhra Pradesh

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on June 14.

THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) condemns the state government of Andhra Pradesh for its repression of the land struggle in the state. For the past 40 days, there is a popular struggle going on for the distribution of house sites and cultivable land to the rural and urban poor. The movement has spread to 90 towns and 712 rural centres. Tens of thousands of people in both urban and rural areas have participated in this movement in a big way.

The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has failed to implement the election promises of distribution of house sites to the urban poor and cultivable land to the rural landless. Contrary to these promises, land is being made available to the rich, real estate speculators and the land mafia.

Faced with the struggle for land, the state government is trying to suppress the movement. 2500 people were sent to jail of whom 116 are still in jail. There have been innumerable lathicharges on the peaceful protesters. Leaders and cadres of the CPI(M) and the Left organisations have false cases foisted on them. The attitude of the police towards women protestors has been reprehensible in Anantapur, Nizamabad and other places.

Faced with the growing support for the movement and protests against the repression, the Congress government is trying to divert the attention of the people by baseless allegations about the Left Front government in West Bengal.

The Polit Bureau demands that the state government immediately halt the brutal police repression and withdraw all cases against the people and cadres of the Left parties. It should take immediate measures to distribute house sites and cultivable waste and surplus lands. It should resume the assigned lands to the original poor as recommended by the Koneru Ranga Rao Committee.