People's Democracy

JOINT CONVENTION OF WORKERS, PEASANTS, AGR. WORKERS

Call For Nationwide Joint Struggle Against Policies

M K Pandhe

THE bankruptcy of the neo-liberal economic policy regime is getting increasingly exposed with every passing day. Despite the media hype on India emerging as a big economic power, growing disenchantment among the mass of the people against the ruling polity owing to aggravating impoverishment of masses along with growing GDP number is exposing the bankruptcy of the policy regime. The GDP is growing to touch the double digit and at the same time unemployment is also touching a new height; employment is declining in the organised sector and this phenomenon along with marginal increase in low-paid low quality employment in the unorganised sector has in net term reduced the labour cost indicating a decline in average wage level in real terms. This means that the value creation by the working people reflected by the growing GDP numbers is being wholly appropriated by the capitalist class, both domestic and foreign. Agrarian crisis is continuing unabated. There is no wonder that 2 lakh farmers have committed suicide during last one decade while landlessness among the rural poor has reached around 35 percent in 2002 and is increasing further with every passing day. Paradoxically, the bank credit to agriculture has increased in absolute terms during last couple of years and at the same time agricultural distress reflected in ever increasing incidence of farmers’ suicide got multiplied, indicating thereby that the resources pumped in the rural economy is being wholly cornered by the rural rich or the hoarders’ community.

The countrywide united struggle against the neo-liberal onslaughts by all sections of toiling people in the process of last one and a half decade, 11 countrywide general strikes by the working class, along with numerous sectoral strike, actions have been able to continue the resistance to some extent with some deterrent impact on some of the aspects of the policy regime. But a realisation within the anti-globalisation movement is coming round that the intensity of the neo-liberal onslaught and the perversion it has generated in the economy warrants much bigger mobilisation and much stronger resistance. Precisely based on this realisation the conclusions drawn by the 12th all-India conference of the CITU, held in January 2007, stressed on the urgent need for developing joint countrywide action by the workers, peasants and agricultural workers against the neo-liberal policies to create conditions for rallying the people from all sections of the society around that nucleus of worker-peasant platform for actions, for converting the streams of sectoral struggles into people’s struggle against the neo-liberal imperialist globalisation.
The call for joint demonstration of workers, peasants and agricultural workers on April 18, 2007, given by the CITU, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), created big enthusiasm among the ranks of all the organisations and was responded to widely throughout the country. As a follow-up of that programme, an all-India convention of workers and peasants was organised jointly by the CITU, AIKS and AIAWU on August 31 at Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi to decide on future programmes and advancing the joint activities of the workers and peasants organisations towards a bigger people’s struggle.

The convention was attended by around 900 delegates from all the states representing the leadership and activists of the CITU, AIKS and AIAWU, bringing the organisations of rural and urban proletariats and the peasantry on a single platform of struggle.
A three-member presidium consisting of CITU president M K Pandhe, AIKS secretary Noorul Huda and AIAWU president Ramayya conducted the convention.

AIKS president S R Pillai, while introducing the draft declaration, explained the accelerating agrarian crisis and job-loss growth in industry. The onslaught of neo-liberal imperialist globalisation has been causing misery to all sections of the society except a handful of the rich and the situation warrants intensification of united resistance. We must work towards that direction, Pillai asserted. Pandhe, while addressing the gathering, explained as to how the distortions and perversions generated by the neo-liberal economic regime has led to cornering of the gains of the hard labour by the toiling people by capitalists and landlords while the workers and peasantry contributing wealth generation in the economy are being deceived. He also pointed to the increasing onslaught on the livelihood and rights of the workers, peasants and the agricultural workers and stressed the need for concerted and united actions by the workers and peasants together. Worker-peasant joint assertions must be the guiding force in all future struggles against neo-liberal imperialist globalisation, Pandhe reiterated. AIAWU joint secretary Hannan Mollah pointed out the precarious conditions of agricultural workers in the country who are getting less than even 60/70 days work in a year, and that too in lieu of paltry subhuman wages, having been pushed to destitution. He also emphasised to need for countrywide joint action preceded by joint intensive campaign throughout the country.

The convention was also addressed by K Hemalata (secretary CITU), Sukomal Sen (general secretary, All India State Government Employees Federation) and Venugopal (general secretary, All India Insurance Employees Association).
CITU general secretary Mohammed Amin moved a resolution against the Indo-US nuclear deal and called upon the toiling people to expose the imperialist game plan and the succumbing posture of the Indian ruling class to imperialist pressure. The resolution, seconded by AIAWU secretary Sunit Chopra, was passed unanimously.

The convention has also passed a resolution extending solidarity to the land struggle in Andhra Pradesh and condemning the killing of seven agricultural workers in Modhukunda in Khammam district. It was moved by AIKS general secretary K Varadha Rajan and seconded by AP state CITU president Sudha Bhaskar.

Forty speakers from various states and representing the three organisations took part in the deliberations, stressing the need to develop similar joint initiative by the worker and peasant organisations in organising joint struggles and mobilisations on people’s issues at the state and district levels. They expressed their firm determination to strengthen the worker-peasant alliance to fight the policies of globalisation.

The convention identified several issues for holding district level joint conventions and demonstrations jointly by the three organisations. These are outlined in the convention’s declaration in the adjoining box.

The convention called for forming joint committees of the three organisations at the local, district and state levels and organising campaigns throughout the country, culminating in a demonstration before the parliament during the first phase of the struggle.
The effectiveness of joint worker-peasant initiative to spearhead the people’s struggle is of crucial importance if the struggle is to really combat the ever increasing offensive of neo-liberal imperialist offensive. The all-India convention of workers and peasants signalled a good beginning to unleash such initiatives. It is time to go down the line at every level and forge the unity among common workers and peasants to make the movement a really people’s movement.