People's Democracy

AIKS & AIAWU Condemns Firing

THE All India Kisan Sabha and All India Agricultural Workers Union condemn the brutal firing on a mass of people including peasants, agricultural labourers and workers, participating in a peaceful ‘rasta roko’ at Mudigonda near Khammam in Andhra Pradesh in which 6 people were killed, including a woman and a young boy, while dozens of people were wounded. It is deplorable that such a brutal response was resorted to on a democratic agitation led by responsible all India political parties and mass organizations.

The CPI(M), CPI and 195 mass organisations have been conducting a peaceful movement for house sites and land for the poor since May 2, 2007. The struggle entered a new phase on July 22 with the indefinite hunger strike launched by leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI. Instead of discussing and settling the issues, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh resorted to brutal attacks against the people. Hundreds of people were seriously injured in police lathicharges in different parts of the state and thousands were sent to jail. Leaders including B V Raghavulu, member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau, P Madhu, member of the CPI(M) central committee and K Narayana, secretary of the Andhra Pradesh state council of the CPI who were on an indefinite hunger strike were forcibly arrested in the early hours of July 28.

We demand the immediate punishment of those responsible for the firing, adequate compensation to the families of those killed and the wounded and release those arrested at once. The government of Andhra Pradesh should immediately declare its intention to implement the Koneru Rangarao Committee report recommending house-sites to the landless, granting land to dalits who have been given pattas and distribute government land to the rural poor.

The AIKS and AIAWU are participants in this movement and call on their units all over the country to hold protest dharnas and rallies to condemn this brutal repression. The Andhra Pradesh government must understand that the present course of action it is pursuing is neither in its interest nor that of the people of Andhra. It must reverse its brutal actions and make amends.