Jute Growers’ Convention Held in Kolkata

ON the call of the All India Kisan Council to organise crop-wise movement, a jute growers’ convention was held on August 15 at the West Bengal state Krishak Samity office in Kolkata. A total of 33 delegates from jute-growing states, such as West Bengal, Bihar and Assam, attended the convention. Delegates from Andhra Pradesh could not attend the meet. Madan Ghosh, vice-president of AIKS, presided over the convention, and AIKS state secretary Nripen Choudhoury and general secretary Hannan Mollah attended the convention. Mollah introduced the subject and explained the AIKS decision.

Farmers Echo “No to Suicides; Onwards to United Struggles”

IT undoubtedly was the most difficult task for the All India Kisan Sabha-challenging emotionally as well as organisationally. It required the Kisan Sabha activists to go down to the families in extreme distress, understand their suffering, stand in solidarity with them and mobilise them to be a part of the struggle against the neo-liberal economic policies and the insensitive state as well as central governments that had snatched their loved ones from them.

Historic Dharna by Families of Farmers who Committed Suicide

THE two day sit-in dharna on August 10-11, by families of farmers who committed suicide culminated with a resolution to intensify united struggles against the neo-liberal economic policies and the insensitive approach of the Narendra Modi led BJP government as well as different state governments. Over 500 peasants and agricultural workers attended in solidarity with the 103 family members from 12 states.Family members from different states narrated the extreme nature of the agrarian crisis and the reasons that led to the farmers committing suicide.

Peasants, Agricultural Workers and Rural Artisans’ Demands Day on Sept 1

EIGHT organisations of kisans, agricultural workers and rural artisans, at a joint meeting on 21ST July, decided to organise a “Campaign Fortnight” from 16TH to 31ST August throughout the country on the issues being faced by them. Joint meetings of cadres, mass meetings, seminars, torchlight processions and other programmes will be organised at block, taluk and district levels to draw the attention of public in general against the anti-people policies of the governments.

Kisans Prepared to Fight against Agrarian Crisis

THE All India Kisan Council met at Wardha to discuss the deep agrarian crisis and the necessary struggles of the peasantry to counter it. Reports from several states, presented before the Council, have confirmed the ground reality and the impact of the crisis on the life of rural people. On the one hand, the attack on democratic rights of the farmers have intensified in West Bengal while on the other, the authoritarian trends of the Modi government have found expression in different anti-farmer policies.

Massive Convention at Guwahati Against Land Acquisition Ordinance

THE city of Guwahati witnessed a massive convention against Land Acquisition Ordinance, on June 19. The spacious auditorium of the District Library was packed up to its capacity and many of the participants had to take their seats on the floor. More than a thousand delegates attended the convention which was inaugurated by Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha.

BJP Govt Betrays Farmers in Distress Yet Again

THE BJP-led NDA government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have yet again betrayed the farmers in distress by going back on their promise of fixing remunerative minimum support prices (MSP) at least 50 percent above the cost of production. The MSP announced for Kharif crops 2015-16 does not meet even the cost of production and in most cases the increase is ranging merely from Rs15 to Rs 50 per quintal. In a press statement issued on June 17, the All India Kisan Sabha said that this does not reflect the actual costs of production and increasing input costs.

AIKS Condemns Exclusion of Rubber Farmers from Subsidies

THE All India Kisan Sabha has condemned the BJP-led NDA government’s decision to exclude rubber farmers in Kerala and Tamilnadu from the subsidies they were entitled to for new planting and replanting. In a statement issued on June 15, it said that this move comes at a time when the rubber farmers are in an acute crisis due to fall in price of rubber. Farmers in Kerala alone are yet to be paid subsidy arrears of over Rs 30 crore for trees already planted. The Rubber Board’s own estimate recommends replanting on 2 lakh hectares in Kerala.

AIAWU Calls for Nationwide Stir on Demand of Housing for All

THE All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) has chalked out a nationwide agitation programme on the demand of housing for all. As part of the two-month long campaign, conventions of houseless and landless will be held in 25,000 villages across the country in July. These will be preceded by a state-level convention of houseless and landless, where the charter of demands will be presented, and district level conventions in 300 districts.

WEST BENGAL: Statewide Road Blockade by Kisans

THOUSANDS of peasants forced a shutdown of traffic in district headquarters for hours in West Bengal protesting against the policies of the TMC government and the Land Acquisition Bill of the Modi government.Peasants in West Bengal are passing through an acute crisis for years now. They have been forced to go for distress sale of their produces, both rice and potato, for consecutive years. In the absence of public procurement, the peasants have sold paddy at much less price than their production cost.

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Peoples Democracy

Agrarian Issues