People's Democracy

AIKS Demands Relief For North Indian Peasants

IN A letter written to the prime minister and union agriculture minister on February 6, All India Kisan Sabha president S Ramachandran Pillai and, general secretary K Varadarajan have expressed concern over the heavy losses suffered by the peasants in UP, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.

The letter reminded Dr Manmohan Singh and Sharad Pawar that standing crops have been destroyed due to severe frost, cold spell and rains in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. As a consequence, peasants in these states have suffered heavy losses to the tune of several hundreds of crores of rupees. Peasants who have taken loans from banks, cooperative societies and moneylenders for cultivation are finding it difficult to pay back the loans or their instalments. Many of them are unable to meet their daily expenditure as they have suffered heavily on account of crop losses.

The AIKS leaders therefore urged the government of India to pay immediate intervention to the task of providing adequate compensation and relief to the affected peasants. (INN)