LAKHS OF FARMERS HOLD HISTORIC KISAN TRACTOR PARADES ON REPUBLIC DAY

LAKHS OF FARMERS HOLD HISTORIC KISAN TRACTOR PARADES ON REPUBLIC DAY

AGENT PROVOCATEURS OF BJP GOVERNMENT AND POLICE FAN VIOLENCE   

FARMERS STRUGGLE TO STRENGTHEN, NATIONWIDE CALL GIVEN FOR JANUARY 30

India had never seen such a magnificent sight in its history. On Republic Day, January 26, 2021, lakhs of farmers rode over one lakh tractors on the outskirts of the national capital Delhi. Each tractor proudly held aloft the national flag and the flag of the kisan organization to which it belonged. It was an unprecedented show of peasant unity that crowned the two month long, entirely peaceful struggle by lakhs of farmers on the borders of Delhi, being led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), comprising over 500 farmers organizations in the country.

The most heart-warming aspect of these Kisan Tractor Parades was the love and affection showered on them by the common people in and around Delhi. Thousands of them came out on the streets to welcome the farmers, showered rose petals on them, and offered them sweets, water bottles and other eatables. This showed strong public support to their cause.

Central and state leaders of the AIKS, CITU, AIAWU, AIDWA, SFI and DYFI participated in the Kisan Tractor Parades at all the Delhi borders. Red flags of the AIKS flew high along with others.     

The same picture was replicated, albeit in smaller proportions, in all the states and hundreds of districts in the country. Lakhs of farmers and workers came out on the streets in their tractors, trollies and other vehicles and held massive rallies at their state and district centres.

The farmers around Delhi and all over the country were demanding the immediate repeal of the three anti-farmer, anti-people and pro-corporate Farm Laws that were bulldozed by the BJP central government through Parliament after murdering democracy; the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill that would lead to the privatization of the power sector, ending of cross subsidy and massive hikes in electricity rates across the board for all sections of working people; and a new law that would guarantee a remunerative MSP as well as procurement.

AGENT PROVOCATEURS AND POLICE FAN VIOLENCE

The SKM had originally wanted the tractor parade to go along the Outer Ring Road of Delhi. But the police refused and gave alternative routes which avoided central Delhi. Not wanting to complicate matters, SKM leaders agreed, with the clear understanding that the parades must take place, but must take place peacefully. It was decided to begin all the Kisan Tractor Parades from 10 am on January 26, after the official Republic Day Parade ended.

In the serious review discussion which took place in the SKM meeting at the Singhu border on the evening of January 27, at which Hannan Mollah and Ashok Dhawale of the AIKS were present, it became clear that 99.9 per cent of the protesting farmers in all the borders around Delhi enthusiastically participated in the Kisan Tractor Parades through the designated routes in an entirely peaceful manner.

It was 0.1 per cent of the fringe elements among the protestors who flouted discipline and began their marches between 7 and 8 am. They were not stopped by the police, and it was they who entered various parts of Delhi. Some groups went up to the Red Fort and the ITO. One group, without touching the national flag that flies from the Red Fort, hoisted the Sikh Nishan Sahib flag from another empty flag pole. This was clearly wrong. Police unleashed barbaric repression with tear gas shells and lathi charges. One young farmer Navreet Singh was killed when his tractor overturned in the melee. Hundreds of farmers were injured in police lathi-charges and some of them are still in hospital.

The SKM immediately condemned this unfortunate turn of events in a statement released in the afternoon of January 26, and in another statement issued a few hours later, appealed to all farmers to stop their tractor rallies with immediate effect and return to their camps.

WHO WERE THE CULPRITS? 

Who were the culprits in this episode? The SKM meeting concluded that there were three main culprits – Deep Sidhu, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) led by Satnam Singh Pannu, and the BJP central government with its Delhi police, all of whom were acting in connivance.

Deep Sidhu is a Punjabi actor who was the election agent of BJP candidate Sunny Deol who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Gurdaspur. Sidhu’s photos with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have become viral all over the country. From the night of January 25, he was seen instigating young farmers at the main stage of the Singhu border to storm Delhi. He is seen in a video clip at the Red Fort instigating some youths to put up the Nishan Sahib flag. The same video shows several farmers loudly arguing with him and denouncing him for this act. He is then seen escaping on a motor cycle.

As per a report in the Indian Express of January 28, Deep Sidhu on January 20 went on Facebook to livestream several tractors en route from Punjab to Delhi and said, “Picture toh abhi baaki hai mere dost.” (The picture, my friend, is still remaining.) On January 23, he shared a web channel interview in Punjabi, in which he said, “We can’t plan what will happen on January 26. It would be out of our calculations. It would be unpredictable. It is up to the Almighty what happens on January 26.” For Sidhu, ‘the Almighty’ was the Modi regime!

How is it ever possible, given the massive police and Army security around Red Fort, that too on Republic Day, for some youth to hoist any flag at the Red Fort? It could evidently not have happened without ‘instructions from the top’. The Nishan Sahib flag was not pulled down immediately and was allowed to flutter there for a couple of hours, evidently to oblige the servile Godi media. The conspiracy clearly was to drive a religious wedge between Punjab and the rest of the country and disrupt the united farmers struggle.

The KMSC did not join the protests at the Singhu border on November 26 when it began. Its adherents joined over two weeks later and were escorted to a separate enclosure away from others by the police themselves. They repeatedly asserted that they would flout the designated route of the tractor parade and would go along the Outer Ring Road straight into Delhi. They also began their march at 8 am, two hours before the designated time. The police made no attempt to stop them, and when the farmers reached Delhi, police unleashed their repression.

There are many more complaints against the police. At the Palwal border, although the route decided was 45 Km, the police began its lathi charge when the paraders had only covered a distance of 15 Km. At the Ghazipur border, the police refused to remove the barricades on the designated route, and allowed the fringe elements to take another route.

CONSPIRACY OF BJP CENTRAL GOVERNMENT  

The conclusion that these agent provocateurs were set up by the BJP government to defame and discredit the two month long peaceful struggle of the peasantry, is inescapable. On January 22, in the 11^th round of talks with the SKM, the union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar is reported to have told the farmers delegation, “So now you begin your preparations for January 26. We shall begin ours.”  What their ‘preparations’ were has now been exposed for the world to see. It is gratifying that at least some sections of the mainstream media and many more sections of the social media have exposed this conspiracy of violence of the BJP regime.

The BJP central government led by Modi and Shah is culpable on four more counts. First, it has let an unprecedented nationwide struggle of lakhs of farmers to drag on for over two months in the bitter cold of Delhi, exposing its sheer adamance, utter insensitivity, and more importantly, its complete servility to the Ambani-Adani-led corporate lobby, under pressure of which it has enacted these Farm Laws and the Labour Codes. Second, it was the BJP state government of Haryana and the BJP central government that began tremendous violence against its own farmers through tear gas shells, water cannons and lathi charges when the peaceful struggle to enter Delhi began on November 26, 2020. Third, it was top BJP-RSS leaders who have constantly tried to defame and discredit the valiant farmers struggle by dubbing it as the handiwork of Khalistanis, Maoists and Naxalites, and also as agents of Pakistan and China. Fourth, the Delhi police under Home Minister Amit Shah have filed over 25 FIRs against several farmers and also against several leaders of the SKM, in an attempt at a crackdown. The farmers struggle has triumphed over all earlier conspiracies; and it will surely triumph again this time.   

SKM PRESS CONFERENCE SHOWS THE WAY AHEAD

Drawing the proper conclusions from all these events in its meeting held on January 27, SKM leaders addressed a joint press conference the same evening at the Singhu border. While hailing the predominantly peaceful nature of the Kisan Tractor Parades around Delhi and all across the country, the SKM completely disassociated itself from the violence indulged in by fringe elements that were in connivance with the BJP government and the police. It exposed these elements by name and called for their social boycott. It boldly accepted the moral responsibility for what had happened since January 26 was an SKM call, expressed regret, and decided to postpone the Farmers March to Delhi on February 1 to coincide with the placing of the union budget. But it gave a clarion call all over the country to observe the Martyrdom Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated by an RSS man Nathuram Godse and his accomplices on January 30, through large public meetings and by observing a one day fast for truth, peace and non-violence. Most important, it announced that the farmers struggle will continue and intensify throughout the country until its demands are won.

Ashok Dhawale

Massive Mass Actions in Maharashtra Strengthen Nationwide Farmers' Struggle

 From January 23 to 26, massive mass actions took place in Maharashtra to further strengthen the nationwide farmers' struggle for the repeal of the three hated Farm Laws and for a law to guarantee MSP and procurement. These politically significant actions were excellently covered by most of the mainstream national and state media, and of course by the social media. 

 

BUILDING UP THE STRUGGLE

 

From December 21 to 25, 2020, over 1,000 peasants from several districts, led by the AIKS Maharashtra unit, had led a five-day Vehicle March from Nashik to Delhi, which stayed at the Shahjahanpur border for a week. This had been reported in these columns earlier.

 

With the intensification of the nationwide struggle, there arose a need to greatly broaden and strengthen the struggle in Maharashtra, so as to involve all political and social forces opposed to the BJP government at the centre. The AIKS Maharashtra State Council drew up this strategy in its first post-Covid physical meeting after a year that was held at Belapur, New Mumbai on January 10.

 

At the initiative of the AIKS, a broad meeting of more than 100 organisations was convened in Mumbai on January 12. Representatives of most of the state level organisations in the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), Trade Unions Joint Action Committee (TUJAC), Struggle Committee of Mass Movements (JASS), Nation for Farmers and Hum Bharat ke Log participated. 

 

PROGRAMME OF ACTION

 

The name of the Front spearheading the movement was decided as Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha - (SSKM Maharashtra) - United Peasant Worker Front.

 

The action programmes that were decided upon were as follows: January 14-15 - Public burning of Farm Laws and Labour Codes; January 18 - Women Farmers Day; January 23 - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Birth Anniversary - Farmers to leave from their respective districts in vehicles and come to Mumbai for the massive MahaPadav; January 24-26 - Farmers to conduct MahaPadav at Azad Maidan, Mumbai; January 25 - Mass Rally to Raj Bhawan; January 26 - Republic Day hoisting of the national flag at Azad Maidan. An SSKM press conference was held in Mumbai on January 15 and again on January 21 to announce this programme. 

 

On January 14-15, thousands of working people in Maharashtra made bonfires of the Farm Acts and Labour Codes. On January 18, the Mahila Kisan Day was observed widely all over the state, with thousands of women and men taking part in innumerable actions. The AIDWA played an important role in mobilising women across the state. 

 

MAIN DEMANDS

 

The main demands of this struggle are: Repeal the three Farm Acts and four Labour Codes; Enact a central law to guarantee a remunerative MSP and procurement; Withdraw the Electricity Amendment Bill; Give regular pension from the Centre to farmers and agricultural workers; Withdraw the anti-people New Education Policy. 

 

Some issues are also related to the state government. They are: Implement the Mahatma Phule Loan Waiver Scheme; Implement the Forest Rights Act and vest forest lands in the name of the tillers; Vest temple lands, pasture lands etc in the name of the tillers; Repeal the 2018 Land Acquisition Act enacted by the previous BJP state government and restore the earlier 2014 Act.

 

On January 14, the SSKM committee met former Union Agriculture Minister, former chief minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, state revenue minister and Congress state chief Balasaheb Thorat and requested them to support this struggle on behalf of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. All of them assured full support to the struggle. Sharad Pawar and Balasaheb Thorat agreed to address the state convention at Azad Maidan. Uddhav Thackeray agreed to send a Shiv Sena representative to the convention.

 

The SSKM delegation requested the above leaders to convene a special session of the state assembly to deal with the agrarian crisis and related issues; to adopt a state assembly resolution asking the Centre to repeal the three Farm Acts and the four Labour Codes; and to enact an Act for ensuring MSP and other demands. 

 

AIKS VEHICLE MARCH TO MUMBAI

 

All India Kisan Sabha's (AIKS) Maharashtra unit began a statewide Vehicle March of 15,000 farmers hailing from 21 districts of the state, from Nashik to Mumbai on January 23 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The March began from the Golf Club Maidan in Nashik in hundreds of tempos, pick-ups and other vehicles. A large public meeting held before the march began was addressed by leaders of all mass fronts.

 

On the night of January 23, the marchers halted for the night at Ghatandevi near Igatpuri. On the morning of January 24 they began their march on foot down the 8 Km long Kasara Ghat joining Nashik and Thane districts. Comprising a large number of women farmers and youth farmers, the three hour march began at 9 am and ended at 12 noon. The peasants were followed down the Kasara Ghat by hundreds of their vehicles. 

 

The Kasara Ghat march and the Vehicle Jatha was led by AIKS national president Dr Ashok Dhawale, state president Kisan Gujar, state general secretary Dr Ajit Nawale, state office bearers Sunil Malusare, Barkya Mangat, Ratan Budhar, Radka Kalangda, Savliram Pawar, Subhash Choudhary, Dada Raipure, Arjun Adey, Shankar Sidam, Uddhav Poul, Umesh Deshmukh, Uday Narkar, Manik Avaghade, CITU state secretary and CPI(M) MLA Vinod Nikole, AIDWA national general secretary Mariam Dhawale and state general secretary Prachi Hatiwlekar, AIAWU state president Maroti Khandare, DYFI state general secretary Preethy Sekhar, SFI state president Balaji Kaletwad and state general secretary Rohidas Jadhav, and many other AIKS state council leaders. 

 

The Vehicle Jatha then proceeded towards Mumbai. On the way, hundreds of CITU-affiliated factory workers from Igatpuri and Shahapur tehsils warmly welcomed their peasant compatriots by showering them with flowers.

 

At the Kalyan-Bhiwandi crossroad, the CPI(M), CITU and DYFI led by P K Lali, Sunil Chavan, Parveen Khan and Jyoti Tayde, and the Amrut Vela Gurudwara welcomed and provided thousands of food packets to all the Kisan marchers. 

 

The Jatha crossed Mumbai at the Mulund Check Naka in the afternoon and was warmly welcomed at the Kannamwar Nagar at Vikhroli by hundreds of activists of the CPI(M), CITU, DYFI and AIDWA in Mumbai, led by Party CCM Mahendra Singh and Hemkant Samant.

 

It then proceeded to the Azad Maidan, where it was resoundingly welcomed at the joint sit-in struggle at Azad Maidan organised by the SSKM from morning.

 

Massive Joint Convention in Mumbai

 

On January 25, on the eve of Republic Day, a massive joint statewide convention of around 40,000 peasants, workers and all other working sections was organised by the SSKM at the famous Azad Maidan in the heart of Mumbai. It included thousands of women and youth. This was on the second day of the Mahapadav that began on January 24.

 

The political significance of this convention was that it was the first time after many years in Maharashtra that all political and social forces opposed to the BJP came together on one platform. 

 

The main speakers were former union minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress state chief and state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat, AIKS national general secretary Hannan Mollah, PWP general secretary Jayant Patil, MLC, AIKS national president Dr Ashok Dhawale, renowned journalist P Sainath, anti-communal fighter Teesta Setalvad, Shiv Sena leader Rahul Londhe, CPI(M) state secretary Narasayya Adam, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, MLA, CPI state secretary Tukaram Bhasme, AAP secretary Dhananjay Shinde, RPI (Kawade) leader Ganesh Unhavne, AIDWA national general secretary Mariam Dhawale, AIKS state general secretary Dr Ajit Nawale, CITU state vice president Dr Vivek Monteiro, NAPM leader Medha Patkar, former Mumbai High Court Justice B G Kolse Patil, Hum Bharat ke Log leader Feroze Mithiborwala, MFUCTO president Tapati Mukhopadhyay, NCP leader Vidya Chavan, ex-MLA, Congress Mumbai chief Bhai Jagtap, MLA, Sarvahara Jan Andolan leader Ulka Mahajan, Kashtakari Sanghatana leader Brian Lobo, Satyashodhak Shetkari Sabha leader Kishor Dhamale and many others. The presidium comprised Raju Korde, S K Rege, Milind Ranade and Shailendra Kamble. 

 

Sharad Pawar was outspoken in his criticism of the BJP regime and of the three Farm Laws, insisted on an MSP guarantee law and warned that if the central government tried to destroy farmers, they would destroy it instead. 

 

Balasaheb Thorat also attacked the Modi government on the Farm Laws and said that the state government was seriously thinking of bringing in legislation to annul their effects and protect farmers.

 

Hannan Mollah gave the experience of the two month long historic farmers struggle around Delhi and exposed the sheer bankruptcy and insensitivity of the Modi regime while dealing with it. 

 

P Sainath stressed on the fact that these Farm Laws attacked not only farmers, but all sections of the people and gave several examples to prove this point.

 

Ashok Dhawale attacked the pro-corporate and neo-liberal character of the Farm Laws and the Labour Codes and accused the Modi regime of trying to sell off the country. Now it was targeting our agriculture and our land.

 

All the speakers flayed the Modi government for its pro-corporate Farm Laws and Labour Codes and came down heavily on the BJP govt's crony capitalist connection with the Ambanis and Adanis. Many leaders called for intensifying the boycott of their products and services. They also demanded a law guaranteeing a remunerative MSP and procurement.

 

GOVERNOR ABSENT, FARMERS TEAR MEMORANDUM

 

After the convention, a huge rally began for the Raj Bhawan. On learning that Governor Koshyari, in spite of having given an appointment to the SSKM delegation, had fled away to Goa, the people got angry. After an immediate SSKM meeting, Dr Ashok Dhawale announced its unanimous decision to cancel the delegation to the Governor and to publicly tear up the memorandum prepared for him. The public meeting then dispersed amidst great enthusiasm with the resolve to broaden and intensify the struggle manifold against the Farm Laws and the Labour Codes and for an MSP law.

 

On the morning of  January 26, the national flag was hoisted at the Azad Maidan by Yamunabai Jadhav, a 73 year old Adivasi woman from Nashik district, who had herself walked the entire 200 Km stretch of the AIKS-led Kisan Long March from Nashik to Mumbai two years ago. The Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, Nana Patole specially remained present for the flag hoisting, along with SSKM leaders.

 

The January 23-26 actions in Maharashtra had a wide impact in the state and also across the country.

Ashok Dhawale

 

AIKS-led Maharashtra Farmers' Vehicle Jatha to Delhi begins from Nashik with a Rousing Send-off

The AIKS-led Maharashtra Farmers' Vehicle Jatha for Delhi began from Nashik on the evening of December 21 with a rousing public meeting and send-off by thousands of people. 

The Jatha is being led up to Delhi by AIKS National President Dr Ashok Dhawale, Former State President J P Gavit, ex-MLA, State President Kisan Gujar, State General Secretary Dr Ajit Nawale, State Joint Secretary Sunil Malusare and others. 

The public meeting at the Golf Club Maidan paid homage to the 33 farmers who have been martyred in the struggle around Delhi during the last three weeks. 

The meeting condemned the Modi-Shah-led BJP regime for its utterly insensitive and obstinate policies targeting peasants and workers to further enrich the corporates, both Indian and foreign. Effigies of corporates Ambani and Adani were also publicly burnt and a call given to boycott their goods and services. 

The highlight of the public meeting was the speech of Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala and AIKS National Joint Secretary K K Ragesh. Ragesh had fought tooth and nail against the three Farm Bills in Parliament and in 2018 had also placed two seminal Bills in the Rajya Sabha on behalf of the AIKSCC - one for Freedom from Debt and the other for Guarantee of MSP at one and a half times the cost of production. 

Along with the AIKS leaders mentioned above, others who addressed the public meeting were CPI(M) State Secretary Narasayya Adam, PWP General Secretary Jayant Patil, MLC, CPI leader Raju Desale, former Congress state minister Shobha Bachchav, AIDWA National General Secretary Mariam Dhawale, CITU National Vice President Dr D L Karad, CPI(M) MLA from Dahanu Vinod Nikole, RPI leader Ganesh Unawane, AIAWU State General Secretary Baliram Bhumbe, AIDWA State President Naseema Shaikh, DYFI State General Secretary Preethy Sekhar, SFI Vice President Nitin Wavhale, and other local leaders. 

The Vehicle Jatha of hundreds of cars, tempos and some buses was enthusiastically greeted on the way by hundreds of people at Ozar, Pimpalgaon Baswant and Shirwade villages before camping for the night at Chandwad, where it was given another rousing reception by hundreds AIKS-led peasants.

Today December 22, the Vehicle Jatha will be given a grand all-Party (minus BJP) people's reception at Malegaon and Dhule, before camping at Shirpur on the Maharashtra border tonight. Tomorrow morning the Jatha will enter Madhya Pradesh.

वाहन जथ्थ्याचा मार्ग व कार्यक्रम

 दि. २१रोजी १२ । ०० वाजेपर्यंत सर्व लोक नाशिकच्या गोल्फ क्लब मैदानावर जमतील तेथे सर्वांना सुचना व खासदार के के रागेश यांच्या उपस्थितीत वाहन मोर्चा प्रारंभ. 

दुपारी ३-००वा. जथ्था निघून नियोजित मार्गाने मुंबई-आग्रा मार्गाने ओझरकडे निघेल. 

दु. ४-००वा. ओझर

दु. ४-३० वा. पिंपळगाव बसवंत

सायं. ५-००वा शिरवाडे(वणी) 

सायं. ५-३० वा चांदवड (मुक्काम)

दि. २२ डिसेंबर रोजी सकाळी. ८-०० वा चांदवड वरून सुरूवात

स. ८.३० वा उमराणे

स. १०-०० वा मालेगांव 

दु. २-०० वा. धुळे

विविध जनसंघटना, पक्ष, समाजसेवी संघटनांच्या प्रतिनिधींकडून दिल्ली वाहन जथ्यांचे स्वागत व शुभेच्छा.

सायं ५-०० शिरपूर ( मुक्काम) 

दिं. २३ रोजी मध्यप्रदेशातून राजस्थान राज्यातून दिल्लीकडे

किसान सभेचे चलो दिल्ली नियोजन पूर्ण, उद्या मान्यवरांच्या उपस्थितीत दिल्लीकडे कूच करणार

 प्रेस नोट

किसान सभेचे चलो दिल्ली नियोजन पूर्ण

उद्या मान्यवरांच्या उपस्थितीत दिल्लीकडे कूच करणार

दिल्ली येथील शेतकरी आंदोलनात सहभागी होण्यासाठी महाराष्ट्रातून किसान सभेच्या नेतृत्वाखाली हजारो शेतकरी उद्या 21 डिसेंबर 2020 रोजी दिल्लीकडे कूच करत आहेत. नाशिक येथून किसान सभेच्या नेतृत्वाखाली सुरू होणाऱ्या या वाहन मोर्चात महाराष्ट्रभरातील 21 जिल्ह्यांमधून हजारो शेतकरी सहभागी होत आहेत. राज्यभरातील हे शेतकरी नाशिक येथील गोल्फ क्लब मैदान येथे एकत्र येतील. 

अखिल भारतीय किसान सभेचे नेते डॉ. अशोक ढवळे, जे.पी. गावीत, किसन गुजर, डॉ. अजित नवले, सुनील मालुसरे यांच्या नेतृत्वाखाली निघणाऱ्या या वाहन जथ्याला शुभेच्छा देण्यासाठी केरळचे खासदार आणि अखिल भारतीय किसान सभेचे राष्ट्रीय सहसचिव के. के. रागेश यांची विशेष उपस्थिती असणार आहे. शेतकऱ्यांना किमान आधार भावाचे संरक्षण मिळावे व केंद्रीय स्तरावर शेतकऱ्यांची संपूर्ण कर्जमुक्ती व्हावी यासाठी राज्यसभेत खा. के. के. रागेश यांनी खाजगी विधेयके मांडून देशभरातील शेतकऱ्यांच्या हक्कांसाठी संसदेत रान उठविले होते. आताच्या तिन्ही शेतकरीविरोधी आणि जनताविरोधी कायद्यांना राज्यसभेत त्यांनी कसून विरोध केला होता. दिल्ली येथील आंदोलनाला पाठिंबा देण्यासाठी महाराष्ट्रातून निघणाऱ्या शेतकऱ्यांचा उत्साह द्विगुणीत करण्यासाठी के. के. रागेश उद्या नाशिक येथे येत आहेत. 

माकपचे राज्य सचिव नरसय्या आडम, शेकापचे सरचिटणीस आमदार जयंत पाटील, कामगार संघटना संयुक्त कृती समितीचे राज्याचे निमंत्रक विश्वास उटगी, अखिल भारतीय जनवादी महिला संघटनेच्या राष्ट्रीय सरचिटणीस मरियम ढवळे, सीटूचे राष्ट्रीय उपाध्यक्ष डॉ. डी. एल. कराड, सीटूचे राज्य सचिव आमदार विनोद निकोले, भाकपचे नेते राजू देसले यांच्यासह अनेक मान्यवर शेतकऱ्यांना शुभेच्छा देण्यासाठी उपस्थित राहतील. छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज, महात्मा ज्योतिबा फुले आणि डॉ. बाबासाहेब आंबेडकर यांच्या पुतळ्यांना अभिवादन करून दुपारी 1 वाजता गोल्फ क्लब मैदानावर होणाऱ्या जाहीर सभेनंतर हा वाहन मोर्चा दिल्लीकडे कूच करेल.

शेकडो वाहने असलेला हा वाहन मोर्चा मुंबई-आग्रा महामार्गाने ओझर, पिंपळगाव बसवंत, शिरवाडे (वणी) मार्गे सायंकाळी ५-३० वाजता चांदवड येथे मुक्कामी पोहचेल. दुसऱ्या दिवशी २२ डिसेंबर रोजी सकाळी ८-०० वा चांदवड येथून वाहन मोर्चा पुन्हा सुरू होऊन उमराणे, मालेगांव, धुळे, शिरपूर मार्गे मध्य प्रदेशात मार्गस्थ होईल. या सर्व ठिकाणी जनातेतर्फे त्याचे जंगी स्वागत केले जाईल. मध्य प्रदेश, राजस्थान मार्गे 24 डिसेंबर रोजी तो दिल्ली येथे पोहचेल.

शेतकरी विरोधी काळे कायदे मागे घ्यावेत, प्रस्तावित वीज विधेयक रद्द करावे या मागण्याबरोबरच शेतकऱ्यांना आधार भावाचे कायदेशीर संरक्षण देणारा कायदा करावा व सरकारने आधार भावाने शेतीमाल खरेदी करण्याची सक्षम व्यवस्था उभी करून अन्नदात्याला घामाचे रास्त दाम व भुकेलेल्याला रास्त दरात अन्न देण्याची कायदेशीर व्यवस्था उभी करावी या प्रमुख मागण्यांसाठी हा वाहन मोर्चा काढण्यात येत आहे.

डॉ. अशोक ढवळे

जे.पी. गावीत

किसन गुजर

अर्जुन आडे

उमेश देशमुख

सुनील मालुसरे

डॉ.अजित नवले

 NATIONWIDE FARMERS' STRUGGLE INTENSIFIES, GETS READY FOR THE LONG HAUL

The historic nationwide farmers struggle that began on November 26 entered its fourth week on December 17. It was intensified and broadened even further after the unprecedented support that was expressed by the people of India through the Bharat Bandh on December 8.

For the first time since the neo-liberal policies began three decades ago, all sections of the peasantry have united as never before against the three Farm Acts, against the rapacious corporate lobby, both Indian and foreign, and against the BJP-RSS central government that is acting as their servile agent. This protracted struggle has united the poor, middle and even large sections of the rich peasantry. The working class, which has itself been hit by the four Labour Codes imposed by the centre, has rallied to the support of the peasantry in its struggle. Large sections of the middle classes are also backing the valiant fight of their ‘annadatas’. Women, youth and students from all these classes are standing in solidarity with the struggle.      

Last week saw another series of massive peasant actions one after the other, as per the call of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) given on December 9, just after the Bharat Bandh and after the SKM had unanimously rejected the written proposals of the central government. Those developments were outlined in these columns last week.

STRUGGLE INTENSIFIED

First, there is a massive increase in the number of farmers gathering on the borders of the nation’s capital. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh are freshly joining the mahapadavs at the Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Palwal borders where four national highways coming to Delhi have been blocked.

Second, the last national highway from Jaipur to Delhi, which was still open, was blocked by thousands of farmers under the leadership of the AIKSCC on December 13. A large share of those who blocked this highway was AIKS-led farmers from Rajasthan and Haryana and CITU-led Anganwadi workers from Punjab. Red flags are flying here in abundance. They have now been joined by AIKS and CITU-led activists from Gujarat. Some other farmers’ organizations have also contributed to the blockade.

Third, the AIKS Maharashtra state council which held its online meeting on December 14, has decided to mobilize peasants in large numbers from all over the state and join the mahapadav at the Rajasthan-Haryana border. They will begin their 1300 Km vehicle march with a huge rally at Nashik on December 21. Hectic preparations are on to make this march a great success.

Fourth, thousands of farmers in various parts of the country picketed hundreds of toll plazas and refused to pay the toll on December 12. This action elicited enthusiastic mass response.

Fifth, lakhs of farmers gathered around Delhi observed a one day fast on December 14. This fast came after the farmers faced and fought severe repression in the form of water cannons, tear gas shells, lathi charges and arrests at the hands of the BJP governments in Haryana and at the centre, and after braving the biting December cold for the last three weeks.

Sixth, the nationwide call for demonstrations at all district and tehsil centres on December 14 got a massive response from lakhs of farmers in almost all states across the country. After the continuous mass actions on November 26, December 3, December 5 and the December 8 Bharat Bandh, this fifth countrywide action in three weeks blew to smithereens the government’s motivated claim that this struggle is confined to only two or three states. On December 16, a massive West Bengal peasant rally has been organized by the AIKSCC in Kolkata and it will be addressed by AIKS general secretary Hannan Mollah and many others.

On December 14, apart from the huge mass actions everywhere, MLAs and MLCs of the CPI(M), PWP, BVA, NCP and SP waved a large red banner in the premises of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhawan on the opening day of the state assembly’s winter session in Mumbai, demanding the immediate repeal of the three Farm Acts and supporting the countrywide farmers struggle. CPI(M) MLA Vinod Nikole addressed the media that was present there in strength. 

Seventh, the countrywide call to boycott Ambani and Adani products and services has struck a chord and is being well responded to in several states. Farmers and other sections of the people have led large demonstrations outside Reliance and Adani outlets in many states. Social media channels are being used in a big way to popularize this campaign.

CALL FOR HOMAGE MEETINGS ON DECEMBER 20

It is tragic that over 30 farmers have died while taking part in the struggle on the borders of Delhi. And yet the callous and cynical BJP central government refuses to respond to the one-point demand of farmers for the repeal of the three Farm Acts and the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill.

The SKM which met on December 15 has given a nationwide call to hold public meetings between 11 am and 1 pm on December 20 to pay homage to all these martyrs of the farmers struggle. There is no doubt that this call will get a massive response across the country.

ARMY VETERANS PLAN TO RETURN GALLANTRY MEDALS

In a very significant move, as reported by ‘The Hindu’ on December 13, Army veterans from Punjab and Haryana who are camping at the Singhu border have collected over 5,000 gallantry medals since November 26 to return to the central government. They plan to collect 25,000 such medals in the next few days. Some extracts from the above report are eye-openers.

80 year-old retired Havaldar Balwant Singh from Jhajjar in Haryana said, “I come from a family of jawans and kisans, which have eight martyrs, either in war or at the border. I was proud of that fact, but because of what the government is doing now, it has begun feeling like this country is no longer worth living in, leave alone to die for. We have been here since the 26^th November and the government, instead of listening to us cry, is busy finding ways to force upon us these black laws created by people in air-conditioned rooms.”

Retired Subedar S P Singh from Gurdaspur in Punjab said some six farmers were detained when they had attempted to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to return a small batch of medals last week. Retired Havaldar Bartar Singh from Patiala alleged that the group of veterans was detained for two whole days and their phones and belongings were confiscated. He said, “I was a soldier earlier but even before that, I was a labourer and a farmer. We are willing to sacrifice these medals in return for a repeal of the black laws…They kept us in detention for two whole days thinking that we will go back home, but the first thing we did after being released this morning was to come back here to join the protest.”

Retired Naik Kapil Dev from Haryana said, “These medals were given not for entertainment but for valour, for coming face to face with death, through sweat and blood and tears, but the jawan is ready to let them go for a better future for the farmer.”

GOVERNMENT CALLOUSNESS CONTINUES

Living in its own world far away from such voices from the ground, and cosying up to the corporates who help it win elections through money and media power, the callousness of the BJP-RSS central government continues unabated. Its leaders have tried, with no success whatsoever, to defame, discredit and divide the farmers movement for the last three weeks.

First they accused the farmers of being influenced by Khalistanis. Then they alleged that they were instigated by Pakistan and China. After that they accused them of being led by Maoists and Naxalites. In spite of the Godi media hurling such Goebbelsian charges ad nauseum, they have been rejected with contempt by the people of India, whose support has kept growing.

Realising that its defamatory campaign was becoming counter-productive in the face of massively mounting protests, the government tried a new tack. Propping up some of its own agents (‘dalals’ is a much better and more accurate word) as so-called farmers’ organizations, it held negotiations with them. Like a command performance they duly supported all the three Farm Acts. The RSS-led Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) were also brought in to make noises opposing the farmers struggle. None of this is working one bit.

In a feeble attempt to draw attention away from the farmers’ struggle, on December 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with much fanfare laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building. He used all his usual empty phrases of our “democratic legacy”, “reflecting India’s aspirations” and “being always accountable to people and the Constitution”.

It was the classic RSS-BJP fascistic habit of speaking one thing, while doing the exact opposite. Modi spoke of “atmanirbharta” on the one hand, while selling off the country to Indian and foreign corporates, on the other. Today he is speaking of “democracy”, “aspirations” and “accountability to people” on the one hand, while letting millions of Indians shiver in the bitter cold for weeks on end on the borders of the nations’s capital, on the other.

But the peasants, the workers and the people of India will teach these modern Neros a lesson in this most peaceful and democratic and united resistance that is unfolding before our eyes.      

Ashok Dhawale      

               

MAHARASHTRA SEES HUGE ACTIONS ANDBANDH IN SUPPORT OF FARMERS STRUGGLE

 MAHARASHTRA SEES HUGE ACTIONS AND BANDH IN SUPPORT OF FARMERS' STRUGGLE

AIKS IN STATE PLANS SPIRITED 1300 KM VEHICLE MARCH TO DELHI

Maharashtra witnessed four massive actions in the last three weeks. The first was the response to the nationwide working class strike and the nationwide peasant upsurge on November 26. The second was the solidarity action to support the fighting farmers of Punjab and Haryana at the Delhi border on December 3. The third was the overwhelming response to the Bharat Bandh on December 8 in support of the farmers struggle. And the fourth was the response to the nationwide call for demonstrations in support of the farmers stir on December 14.

And now, in what will be the fifth major action, the online meeting of the AIKS Maharashtra state council held on December 14 decided to mobilize a large number of peasants from all over the state to Delhi in a 1300 Km vehicle march beginning December 21 from Nashik.   

All these struggles demanded a rollback of the three Farm Acts, the four Labour Codes and the Electricity Amendment Bill and saw worker-peasant unity in action. They were preceded by a widespread campaign of meetings, leafleting, press conferences and social media activity.

The first four actions were led by a united coalition of three platforms – the Trade Unions Joint Action Committee (TUJAC), the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and the Struggle Committee of Mass Movements (JASS) which is an umbrella front of all leading class, mass and social organizations in Maharashtra. Along with the massive participation by both CITU and AIKS, the AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI and SFI also took active part in all these actions. 

HUGE WORKING CLASS STRIKE

On November 26, strikes were widespread in industrial centres and in the manufacturing sector of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Solapur. Lakhs of organized, unorganized and scheme workers took part in the strike all over the state.  

In Pune for the first time there was a complete strike in Tata Motors. About 20,000 workers attended the mass meeting at Pimpri Chinchwad organized by TUJAC. In Raigad district there was a complete strike in the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). In Vidarbha 24,000 coal workers went on strike. In Solapur, around 1,25,000 and in Pune around 3,00,000 workers from organized, unorganized and scheme workers went on strike. The strike in the banking, insurance and government employees sector was total.

Along with the strike, big mass meetings were held in Nashik and Pune. In Mumbai, Aurangabad, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nagpur and most other districts in the state large demonstrations were held at multiple locations. In Solapur, under CITU leadership, over 16,000 workers braved repression and led a rally to the district collectorate. The actions were often in the form of human chains because of Covid restrictions. In Mumbai, large human chains were organized all over the city by all unions in TUJAC and they mobilized an estimated one lakh people. CITU organized human chains in more than 20 locations.     

LARGE PEASANT ACTIONS

Simultaneously, on November 26, thousands of peasants conducted massive road blockades on the national and state highways. Many of these highways were blocked for many hours. In many other places, there were large marches and demonstrations at district and tehsil centres.

The total mobilization in 103 centres in 30 districts of Maharashtra, predominantly by the AIKS and CITU, and supported by the AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI and SFI on November 26, crossed the 75,000 mark. The first five districts were as follows: Thane-Palghar – 27,500 (9 centres), Solapur – 16,450 (4), Nashik – 12,550 (10), Ahmednagar – 4,000 (1), Nanded – 3,000 (2). Kolhapur, Mumbai, Amravati, Raigad, Jalna, Aurangabad and Nagpur also made sizable efforts. The mobilization on November 26 by other trade unions and organizations in the TUJAC, AIKSCC and JASS was also substantial.

Again, in the solidarity call with the farmers struggle on December 3, the six class and mass fronts mentioned above mobilized nearly 20,000 people at 87 centres in the state. The first five districts in mobilization in this action were as follows: Thane-Palghar – 5,500 (7 centres), Nashik - 3,300 (9), Solapur – 1,100 (3), Pune – 1,000 (4), Parbhani – 800 (4). In this action also, many other organizations took a sizable part.

On December 14, once again at the nationwide call of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), big dharnas and demonstrations were held at several district and tehsil centres. They mobilized thousands of people in both rural and urban areas. Detailed reports of these are coming in.   

MASSIVE BHARAT BANDH

The Bharat Bandh on December 8 evoked overwhelming response from the people of Maharashtra. It was by far one of the largest and most spontaneous Bandhs in recent history.

Along with the Left parties like CPI(M), CPI and PWP, the Bandh was supported by all three main parties in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition in the state, viz. Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. Other parties like Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), Samajwadi Party (SP), JD (S) and others also lent their support. Along with the major Kisan organizations, most of the trade unions and other mass organizations supported the Bandh call to the hilt. Lakhs of activists of all the above parties and organizations came on to the streets unitedly to make this Bandh a truly massive success. All APMCs including the largest APMC at Vashi in New Mumbai were completely closed. Several trader and transporter organizations came out in full support. Several national and state highways, shops and marketplaces, towns and cities were closed.  

One jarring note in this Bandh was the completely unwarranted police lathi-charge injuring several CPI(M) activists in Solapur, and the slapping of police cases under IPC Section 353 and others on 17 of them. They included CPI(M) state secretary Narasayya Adam. 15 leaders were arrested and were in jail for five days until they were released on bail. They included AIKS state vice president Siddhappa Kalshetty, AIDWA state president Naseema Shaikh, CITU leaders Yusuf Shaikh (Major), Nalini Kalburgi, Venkatesh Kongari, Shevantabai Deshmukh, Mohd Hanif Satkhed, DYFI leaders Anil Wasam, Datta Chavan, Balkrishna Mallyal, SFI leader Sham Adam and others. Four of those who were arrested are former municipal corporators of the Party.

The success of the Bandh showed that the battle had been joined, not only in Maharashtra but throughout the country, with the BJP-RSS central government along with the Indian and foreign corporates that it represents on one side and the great majority of the working people of the country on the other. This was greatly helped by the people’s sympathy with, and support to, the lakhs of farmers who are waging a bitter struggle on the borders of the nation’s capital.

Ashok Dhawale