FIFTEEN JOINT DISTRICT CONVENTIONS MOBILISE 40,000 FARMERS; GIVE CALL FOR STATEWIDE ROAD BLOCKADE ON AUGUST 14, 2017

The coordination committee of farmers’ organisations had decided to organise large joint peasant conventions for mass awakening (jan jaagran) in major districts all over Maharashtra from July 10 to 23. 

A total of 15 massive joint conventions of farmers took place in all the five regions of Maharashtra - Northern Maharashtra, Konkan, Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra - from July 10 to 23. Over 40,000 farmers took enthusiastic part in all these conventions despite the sowing season in the monsoons. This showed the anger in the peasantry against the betrayal of the BJP state government on the loan waiver issue.  

These conventions took place in the districts of Nashik (Nashik and Kalwan), Thane-Palghar (Vikramgad), Ahmednagar (Sangamner), Dhule-Nandurbar (Saakri), Amravati (Chandur Baajaar), Buldana (Khamgaon), eastern Vidarbha (Wardha), Nanded (Kinwat), Parbhani, Beed (Dharur), Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Pune.

The initiative and mobilisation by the AIKS in almost all the above conventions has been exemplary. AIKS activists in all districts took special efforts to approach the peasantry through hundreds of village meetings, distribution of leaflets and so on. In several districts, AIKS leaders took the initiative to call joint meetings of farmers’ organisations and many of them have been elected convenors of the district coordination committees. The AIKS state council met twice during this period of struggle – on June 3 and July 3 – and it took several decisions to take forward this united movement effectively with independent initiative.

The last convention at Pune on July 23, which was presided over by respected social activist and trade union leader Dr Baba Adhav, gave the following call for future action:

•      In the state assembly’s monsoon session that began on July 24, Bachchu Kadu MLA and Jayant Patil MLC will place the coordination committee’s resolution for complete peasant loan waiver (excluding the richer sections) in both houses of the legislature. Like the last assembly session, in this assembly session too, there will be a ruckus by the opposition on the issues of loan waiver and remunerative prices.
•     On August 14, the eve of Independence Day, there will be a complete road blockade (called Chakka Jaam) of national highways and state highways all across Maharashtra by lakhs of peasants for the above two demands. Bullock carts and tractors will also be used by the peasants to enforce this blockade.
•    The coordination committee will meet after this action to take stock and decide the future course of struggle.   

Student and youth organisations like the SFI and DYFI have also decided to support this struggle. The two organisations have decided to: 1. Convene a meeting of all like-minded student-youth organisations on July 26 and form a coordination committee; 2. Launch a statewide campaign through meetings and leaflets in schools, colleges, villages and towns under the banner ‘We Are All Children of Peasants’; 3. Call for an ‘Education Bandh’ followed by human chains of students and youth all over the state on August 14 in support of the joint Road Blockade call of farmers’ organisations.

Joint Peasant Convention at Pune calls for blocking all national & state highways in Maharashtra on 14 August 2017

The last of the Joint Peasant Conventions organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations was held on 23rd July 2017 at Pune.  It was presided by senior social activist Baba Adhav. Raghunathdada Patil, Bachchu Kadu (MLA), Jayant Patil (MLC), Dr Ashok Dhawale, Dr Ajit Nawale, Namev Gavde, Kishor Dhamale, Sanjay Patil, Sushila Morale and others leaders spoke on this occasion.  The convention has given a clarion call for blockade (Chakka Jaam) of all national and state highways in Maharashtra on 14 August- the eve of Independence Day- for complete peasant loan waiver and remunerative prices as per the Swaminathan Commission report.

Scene from the Joint Peasant Convention at Pune, 23 July 2017

Joint Peasant Conventions at Sangli & Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, 22 July 2017

On 22nd July 2017, Joint Peasant Conventions were organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations at Sangli and Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

Scene from the Joint Peasant Convention held at Sangli

Scene from the Joint Peasant Convention held at Kolhapur 

Joint Peasant Convention in Sholapur, 21 July 2017

Scenes from the Joint Peasant Rally and public meeting organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations in Sholapur, 21st July 2017.

Joint Peasant Convention of Beed district, Marathwada region, 20 July 2017

Scene from the massive Joint Peasant Convention of Beed district, Marathwada region at Dharur organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations on 20th July, 2017.

Joint Peasant Convention at Parbhani, Marathwada region, 19 July 2017

Scene from the Joint Peasant Convention organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations at Parbhani, Marathwada region of Maharashtra, 19th July 2017. AIKS state joint secretary Vilas Babar was one of the main organisers here.

JOINT CONVENTIONS OF FARMERS IN MAHARASHTRA MOBILISE THOUSANDS FOR STRUGGLE

On June 11, 2017, the BJP-led state government was forced to the negotiating table by the Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Organisations and it had to publicly declare a complete loan waiver for farmers, excluding the richer sections, as a result of the unprecedented 10-day farmers’ strike in Maharashtra, which was backed by a Maharashtra Bandh.

GOVERNMENT BETRAYAL

However, as was only to be expected, the BJP-led state government betrayed its promise of a complete loan waiver within a fortnight. Foreseeing the possibility of this betrayal, the Coordination Committee had declared in the joint press conference along with five cabinet ministers on June 11 itself that, in case the government went back on its word, the struggle would be renewed with greater force from July 26.    

On June 24, without in any way consulting the coordination committee, the state government unilaterally announced a loan waiver package of Rs 34,000 crore. It was completely unsatisfactory on several counts.

Firstly, the government had itself earlier declared that the total peasant crop loan in the state is Rs 1.14 lakh crore. The Rs 34,000 crore government package means that a crop loan of Rs 80,000 crore still remains. In percentage terms, only 29.82 percent of the crop loan is waived, while 70.18 percent of the crop loan still remains.

Secondly, it has set a limit of Rs 1.5 lakh for defaulters only, with the further condition that only if the farmers who have a loan of more than that amount pay off all their remaining crop loans in a one-time settlement, will they get this Rs 1.5 lakh loan waiver.

Thirdly, for non-defaulters (lakhs of whom just renew their loans every year in the record books) the government has announced that as an ‘incentive’, only 25 percent of their loan or Rs 25,000 (whichever figure is less) will be waived. Even this paltry relief will be given only if they pay off all their remaining crop loans in a one-time settlement.

Fourthly, instead of declaring the loan waiver up to June 30, 2017, it has been declared only up to June 30, 2016. There are some other conditions as well. All this makes a mockery of the loan waiver and throws lakhs of farmers out of the loan waiver net. In fact, the scheme is being dubbed by farmers not as a loan waiver scheme but as a loan recovery scheme.

MASSIVE JOINT CONVENTIONS

On June 25, the very next day after the government announcement of its so-called loan waiver package, the coordination committee met and denounced the state government for the betrayal of its promise given on June 11. It was decided to organise large joint peasant conventions for mass awakening (jan jaagran) on behalf of the Coordination Committee in major districts all over the state from July 10 to 23.

The national struggle jatha of farmers’ organisations was warmly welcomed at Dhule (July 9) and Nashik (July 10), after which it went on to Gujarat.

So far, eight massive joint conventions of farmers have taken place in the regions of Northern Maharashtra, Konkan and Vidarbha from July 10 to 17. Seven more huge conventions will be held from July 18 to 23 in the Marathwada and Western Maharashtra regions. The series began from Nashik and will end at Pune, from where a clarion call for struggle will be given.

The eight conventions that have taken place so far have been in the districts of Nashik (Nashik and Kalwan), Thane-Palghar (Vikramgad), Ahmednagar (Sangamner), Dhule-Nandurbar (Saakri), Amravati (Chandur Baajaar), Buldhana (Khamgaon) and eastern Vidarbha (Wardha). Over 20,000 farmers have taken enthusiastic part in all these conventions despite the sowing season due to the monsoons, which is in itself an extraordinary phenomenon.

The anger and discontent of the farmers against the BJP regime both at the centre and in the state is palpable. The leaders flay the Modi regime for betraying its promise of implementing the Swaminathan Commission recommendation on remunerative prices by shamelessly filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court in February 2015, declaring that it cannot fulfill its election promise since it will ‘distort the market’. The central government is also being castigated for washing its hands off any responsibility for farmers’ loan waiver on the one hand, while giving away lakhs of crores of rupees to its corporate cronies in loan waivers, NPAs and tax concessions. The Fadnavis regime is being flayed for its betrayal of complete loan waiver.       

On behalf of the AIKS, state general secretary and coordination committee convenor Dr Ajit Nawale, state president Kisan Gujar and national joint secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale are touring the entire state from July 10 to 23. They are being accompanied in different places by leaders of the other farmers’ organisations like Raghunath Dada Patil of the Shetkari Sanghatana, Bachchu Kadu, MLA of the Prahaar Shetkari Sanghatana, Namdev Gavde of the AIKS (Ajoy Bhavan), Kishor Dhamale of the Satyashodhak Shetkari Sabha, Ganesh Jagtap of the Baliraja Shetkari Sanghatana and many others.

The Maharashtra AIKS has urgently published 10,000 informative and attractive booklets of the fifth and final report of the Swaminathan Commission with a preface, for sale during this tour and it is meeting with excellent response. Thousands of copies have been sold so far. Copies of the AIKS central Hindi journal ‘Kisan Sangharsh’ are also being sold in the tour.

The seven remaining conventions are in the districts of Nanded (Kinwat), Parbhani, Beed (Dharur), Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Pune. Hectic joint preparations are on to make these a smashing success. The united nature of this struggle, in which the AIKS is playing a vitally active and unifying role at both the state and district levels, is multiplying the response and participation of the peasantry manifold. The stage is being set for the action call that will be given in the last convention at Pune on July 23.  

Ashok Dhawale

Joint Peasant Convention of eastern Vidarbha region at Wardha, 17 July 2017

Scenes from the Joint Peasant Convention of eastern Vidarbha region at Wardha organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations on 17th July 2017. It was chaired by AIKS state vice president Yashwant Zade.

Joint Peasant Convention at Buldhana, Vidarbha, 16 July 2017

Scenes from the Joint Peasant Convention at Buldhana district, Vidarbha region organized by the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations on 16th July 2017. It was chaired by former AIKS state president Dada Raipure.

Joint Peasant Convention of Amaravati, Vidarbha, 15th July 2017

Scenes from the large peasant convention of Amravati district in Vidarbha region organised by the Coordination Committee of Farmer's Organisations on 15th July, 2017. The convention was preceded by a huge rally.

Convention of the Coordination Committee of Farmer's Organisations at Saakri, Dhule, July 14, 2017

Scenes from the massive peasant convention of the Coordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations held at Saakri, Dhule district in Maharashtra on July 14, 2017. The Satyashodhak Shetkari Sabha affiliated to the Red Flag played a big role in mobilising thousands of farmers here.

Joint Farmers' Convention at Kalwan, Nashik, July 12, 2017

Joint Farmers' Convention, Vikramgad, July 11, 2017

Joint Farmers' Convention at Sangamner, Ahmednagar demands complete loan waiver & implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendation

On 13 July, 2017 the large Joint Farmers' Convention of Ahmednagar district at Sangamner demanded complete peasant loan waiver and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendation about remunerative prices, along with other demands. The main speakers were- Raghunathdada Patil, Bachhu Kadu MLA, Dr Ashok Dhawale, Dr Ajit Nawale, Namdev Gavde, Sushila Morale, Sanjay Patil, Karan Gaikar, Ganesh Jagtap and others. This is the fourth successful convention of thousands of farmers each in Maharashtra after Nashik (July 10), Vikramgad in Thane-Palghar district (July 11) and Kalwan (July 12) in the last three days. This campaign will continue with one convention each in the major districts of the state till July 23, after which a further call for state-wide struggle will be given by the coordination committee of farmers' organisations. The Maharashtra AIKS has urgently published a booklet giving the fifth and final report of the Swaminathan Commission and it is being sold very well in all the joint peasant conventions.