|
Dear friend,
A national level conference of peasants and agricultural workers was held at village Parmandal in Multai on 12 January ,1999. This was to mark the anniversary of police firing on a peaceful peasant demonstration last year. The Conference was jointly organised by National Alliance of People's Movements, Bharat Jan Andolan and Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (Multai). The Multai Manifesto adopted at the end of the Conference is also enclosed. Do take note of the forthcoming programmes. The administration tried its utmost to create fear in the minds of the delegates as well as the local populace by deploying the police force in large numbers. The administration showed its high handedness by not allowing the construction of a martyrs' memorial at the site of last years carnage. It also arrested two hundred and fifty people who wanted to pay homage to the martyrs, the procession included women, relatives of the martyrs and many national level leaders. It has been decided in the Conference to observe 12 February as Peasants' Rights Day to protest against the continuing anti-peasant policies of the government. Please inform other organisations in your area and observe the Peasants' Rights Day by holding rallies, dharnas and burning effiges of supporters of these anti-peasant policies. We would soon inform you about the next meeting of peasant and agricultural workers' organisations. In solidarity Vimal Bhai, Sunil |
In free India, appropriation of capital for centralised economic development based on capital intensive industrialisation has been brought about by exploiting agriculture. Farming has been made a loss making enterprise. Agriculture's share in the Gross Domestic Product has continued to decline. Rural unemployment has increased. Rural India has become even more backward in educational facilities, health services and development of basic infrastructure. Economic disparity between cities and villages as well as between industry and agriculture has increased. Traditional farming and cottage industries are fast vanishing. Traditional farming techniques are being replaced by techniques which are owned by capitalists. The natural environment is also gradually being destroyed. Millions have been displaced as a result of the policy of constructing big dams for generating energy required for this model of economic development.
Just as the nature of economic development is colonial, so is the administrative machinery. Through centralisation of economic and political power, they have continued to exploit the common man especially farmers, farm labour and the workers in the unorganised sectors of the economy. They have time and again violated the democratic rights of the common man with impunity, and rendered them ineffective. The industrial process and the administrative machinery have exploited natural resources, thus destroying the traditional means of sustenance of a majority of our population. The land owned by the farmers is bought or acquired dirt-cheap for constructing industrial and power projects, but the farmers find no place in the new scheme of things.
The All india Peasants and Agricultural Workers Conference totally rejects this system and the development process. It advocates a social order based on justice and equality, and with the objective of achieving it, it supports the development model based on agriculture and cottage industry. This Conference demands development to be based on swadeshi, self-reliance and the right to work. This conference also demands that the cost of labour in agriculture should be equal to that of skilled labour in the organised industrial sector. This conference is committed to the development of cottage industry and the reservation necessary for this purpose, the elimination of the loot from the disparities in the prices for agricultural and forest produce, employment of labour intensive and environment friendly techniques in agriculture and promoting of small irrigation projects. It stands for full implementation of these policies.
The Conference demands decentralisation of power and establishment of gram swaraj or our rule in our village. It will bring about self-sufficiency in the villages in respect of food and clothing. The Conference also urges that women be given equal share in power and property.
The Conference decides to participate in all national and international struggles against globalisation. It strongly condemns the amendment to the patent laws. It also opposes the entry of multinational companies in agriculture, insurance and banking sectors.
The Conference also supports participation of local farmers, labourers and the gram sabhas as well as consumers in the ownership of local industry. The Conference also demands that the price of land given to any industry should be equal to the commercial value of industrial land.
The so caled globalisation has resulted in the importing of large quantities of agricultural commodities, thus bringing down the prices of indigenous agricultural produce. Six thousand crore rupees of precious foreign exchange have been spent on importing 20 lakh tonnes of edible oils. If continued this policy wil lead to the exploitation of farmers who cultivate soyabean, mustard, groundnut and tilhan.
Farmers have been burdened with heavy debts. These debts have been further increased by charging compound interest and resorting to cuts. The farmer rejects this. The Conference favours the creation of Gramin or village banks under the aegis of the gram sabhas. Reserve Bank should provide these banks with interest free money so that farmers and labourers may get interest free loans.
The Conference vehemently criticizes state oppression of the agitations launched by people's organisations, particularly the farmers and labourers movements.
The Conference proposes the following programme for the next six months
Endorsed by: