Historic Farmers’ Struggle in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Bandh called today June 5 jointly by several peasant organisations, among whom the Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha (AIKS) is playing a leading role, to support the historic state-wide Peasant Strike, was a massive success almost all over the state. Big cities had been excluded. Hundreds of towns, mandis, roads, shops, government offices etc were closed down by lakhs of farmers who came on to the streets in solidarity with the burning demands of the strike.

The unprecedented Peasant Strike, which began on June 1, with farmers refusing to get their produce like milk, vegetables and fruits to the market, entered its fifth day today. It was further intensified with anger on June 3 due to the shameful act of its betrayal by two blacklegs who were masquerading as peasant leaders. It has now come to light, not surprisingly, that both these self-styled leaders - Jayaji Suryavanshi and Sandip Gidde- have old RSS connections. They met the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the early hours of June 3 and, in spite of the CM not concretely conceding a single demand of the fighting peasants, they unilaterally declared a withdrawal of the Strike at dawn. It was crystal clear that both the RSS-BJP state government and these blacklegs had connived to undermine this historic struggle of the farmers of Maharashtra. But to their utter misfortune, AIKS State General Secretary, Dr Ajit Nawale, was also a part of the delegation that met the CM. He strongly argued that none of the vital demands like loan waiver, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendation on remunerative prices, pension for peasants and agricultural workers etc were agreed to by the CM and hence the Strike should not be withdrawn. When both the CM and these blacklegs refused to listen to his pleas, he consulted AIKS national joint secretary Dr Ashok Dhawale on phone at 3.45 am on June 3, walked out of the talks in protest and immediately reported the connived betrayal to the media waiting outside the CM's bungalow. This was flashed all over the state and it led to a massive uproar amongst the peasantry against both the government and the blacklegs.

On June 2, before these events, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury had addressed a packed press meet in Mumbai supporting the Peasant Strike. On June 3 again, Dr Ashok Dhawale, Dr Ajit Nawale, AIKS state president Kisan Gujar and state working president Arjun Adey addressed another packed press meet organised by the AIKS in Mumbai exposing this betrayal and calling for the intensification of the Peasant Strike. Both these press meets were extensively covered by both print and electronic media. AIKS leaders Ashok Dhawale and Ajit Nawale immediately contacted leaders of other peasant organisations who were against this sellout and it was jointly decided to give today's Maharashtra Bandh call.

The Peasant Strike will continue with strength and on June 8, a meeting of the new coordination committee that has been formed will meet at Nashik and will decide the future course of struggle. AIKS units throughout Maharashtra are in the thick of the ongoing struggle. All Left and other opposition parties, trade unions like CITU, AITUC and others, AIAWU, AIDWA, SFI and DYFI have been actively supporting the Peasant Strike. The CITU has held demonstrations in several cities as part of its call for worker-peasant unity.

Ashok Dhawale, Joint Secretary, AIKS