Friday, November 4, 2011

6th State Conference of Jammu & Kashmir Kisan Tahreek





The two day state conference of J&K Kisan Tahreek was held at Khanabal (Ang) Kashmir on 29th and 30th of October 2011. The venue was chosen, keeping in view the historical importance of south Kashmir in relation to the struggle of peasantry during and immediately  after the autocratic rule of the Maharajas and their feudal chiefs. 

  The conference began with a huge public rally in the morning of 29th October at Dakbanglo Khanabal. The rally was addressed  by a number of prominent Kissan leaders, including the  state president and the general secretary . The lecture session was opened by com.M. Afzal,  the regional secretary Kashmir province. He underscored the importance of the kisan movement in J & K and highlighted the role of small and marginal farmers in the overall transformation of the society under the changed socio-economic scenario. Com. Abdul Hamid Wani, senior leader of the organization in his lecture described the kisan movement, a struggle which goes beyond the political borders and boundaries. Wani asserted that despite some set backs the ongoing struggle of the working class alone can help in uplifting the farmer community and enable them to live a dignified life.
 

The state general secretary, Malik Ghulam Nabi in his address underlined the challenges before the farmer community in the country, especially in J & K. He alleged that solutions and remedies proposed by the government for the problems faced by farmers, are practically proving counterproductive and against the interests of the poor and the marginal farmers.
 
The well known national level kisan leader, Com. Noorul Huda severally criticized the neo liberal economic policies of the UPA government and said that their policies, in essence however favour the corporate sector and the big business at the cost of a common farmer and other toiling masses. He further stressed, that small and marginal farmers cannot hope to gain anything substantial from the policies of the present  Central government.
 
Com. Sham Prassad, a senior working class leader from Jammu region, who greeted the participants highlighted some specific problems faced by the poor kisans.
  


Com. M.Y. Tarigami the well known working class leader of the state and MLA, while addressing the kisan rally deplored the attitude of the government vis-a-vis farmers and the other working masses. He said, even the farmer friendly schemes by the central government have failed and could not benefit the farmers who are facing great odds. This he said is mainly due to poor implementation of the said schemes. When the farmers make a demand for meager subsidies, the governemnt says, it has no money to support the kisans. The same government however never rethinks when it comes to increasing the salaries and perks of the ministers creating huge and unproductive expenditure.  Tarigami strongly advocated the withdrawal of AFSPA and said that various political parties and the govt. are enacting an unnecessary drama and are politicizing and issue which is essentially humanistic.
 
Com. Kishore Kumar, president of J & K Kissan Tehrik concluded the open session of the conference by thanking the participants for attending the rally during a very busy harvest season and some trying circumstances. He hoped that the Kisan movement will strengthen its roots in J & K and will launch an organized result oriented struggle in the coming days.
 
 

The delegate session of the conference started in the afternoon, wherein 210 delegates and observers hailing from 14 out of 22 districts of the State participated. Com Noorul Huda inaugurated the session while Malik Ghulam Nabi presented the  general secretary’s report. The presidential  address was read by the senior leader Com Abdul Hamid Wani. Twenty delegates took part in the discussion on the general secretary’s report. In all ten resolutions on different subjects, including resolutions on  Universalisation of PDS, Human rights violations, Strengthening of Panchyati  Raj Institutions, Land Acquisitions and the Redressal of problems of Gujjars and Bakarwals .

 
On 30th October after the reply of general secretary, the report was unanimously adopted. A 45 member State Working committee was elected with Com. Kishore Kumar as President, Malik Ghulam Nabi as General Secretary and Ghulam Rassol Ghanai as its treasurer.
 
In his concluding address Com M.Y.Tarigani emphasized the importance of building a strong Kisan movement in J & K. He stressed that the Kisan Movement alone can create a favourable atmosphere for the genuine democratic movement in the state.
          
Earlier on the eve of the conference a major rally was organized in which thousands of kisans coming from length and breadth of the State participated. The rally was addressed by AIKS leader Noorul -Huda, General Secretary Kisan Tehreek G. N. Malik, President Kisan Tehreek Kishore Kumar and veteran Kisan leader Abdul hamid Wani. Besides M Y Tarigami, State Secretary CPI(M) also addressed the rally.  Accusing the successive governments of disappointing the peasant community in J&K, they cautioned that the state could witness a strong protests if the farmers are deprived of their rights. They deplored that despite much publicized economic growth in the country, the poor, especially the small farmers have become poorer and their condition is getting miserable”. “If the situation continues to be like that, the day is not far when the farmers will come on streets to fight for their rights and we will witness serious protests,” they emphasized.

 

In his address State Secretary CPI (M) M Y Tarigami said that only a strong and organized Kisan movement can force the government to settle the issues of the peasantry.  Expressing disappointment over the rampant corruption in the state, Tarigami said, “The corruption is at its peak in the state. It is irony that the government has no money when it comes to subsidy and other benefits to farmers but for the salary hike of ministers and MLAs it has always enough funds in the Sate exchequer”. He said the corruption is so rampant that a common man cannot get ration card without giving bribe. “The schemes are formulated but are never implemented on ground. Even in the case of centrally sponsored schemes like NREGA, a villager has to pay a bribe and then get a job card,” he added.

Victory Rally By Anganwadi Mulazam Union Punjab


Victory rally was held at Mukatsar at the call of Anganwadi Mulazam Union Punjab CITU after 57 days long militant struggle. It is worth noting that the militant agitation of Aganwadi Workers Union Punjab compelled the Punjab government to double the state share of honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers. The government had to issue notification in this effect and enhanced honorarium of Anganwadi workers from 400 to 800 and honorarium of helpers from 200 to 400. From every corner of Punjab Anganwadi workers and helpers reached Mukatsar and marched to the venue of the rally in processions with the banners of their respective districts and red flags of CITU.

Over 1000 Anganwadi workers and helpers from districts Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, and Hoshiarpur reached Mukatsar at night on 29th October and camped in historical gurudwara at Mukatsar. It is at first time such a big rally of working women in Mukatsar. The rally presided over by state president of Anganwadi Mulazam Union Com. Usha Rani.

Addressing the rally Dr. Hemlata General Secretary of all India Federation of Anganwadi workers and helpers congratulated the Anganwadi workers and helpers of Punjab who forced the state government of Punjab to accept their just and genuine demands. During this militant relay hunger strike of 57 days the Anganwadi workers and helpers boldly braved police repression, inhuman torture in police custody and false police cases registered in various police stations under different sections. It goes to the credit of 27 days long militant struggle of Anganwadi workers and helpers under the guidance of Anganwadi Mulazam Union and CITU Punjab.

Dr. Hemlata further said that this struggle is neither first nor last one. For the remaining demands such as getting status and pay scales of government employees for Anganwadi workers and helpers; to get the ICDS regularized to get pension and all other benefits of social security and to get arears of the enhancement of monthly honorarium since April 2010.

Addressing the rally State General Secretary of CITU Com. Raghunath Singh congratulated the remarkable victory of Anganwadi Mulazam union Punjab. Condemning the Punjab government and Chandigarh Administration for registering false police cases against the leaders and active workers of Anganwadi Mulazam Union Punjab to suppress their peaceful agitation Com. Raghunath Singh warned that CITU would give befitting reply to the Ministers of Punjab government including the Chief Minister by launching mass campaign all over the state to expose the anti people and repressive policies of Akali-BJP Government.

He assured all kinds of cooperation to the agitations of the Anganwadi Mulazam Union Punjab. On this occasion Manpreet Singh Badal Chairman of newly formed United front of PPP, CPI(M), CPI, SAD(L) while congratulating the Anganwadi workers and helpers Punjab announced that when the united front comes to power it will immediately give honorarium to the Anganwadi workers and helpers on Haryana patern and also punish those police officials who lathi charged on the peaceful agitation of Anganwadi workers and helpers and curved democratic rights of the people. Anganwadi workers and helpers warmly welcomed this announcement made by Sardar Manpreet Singh Badal.

The rally was also addressed by Com. Vijay Mishra(President Punjab CITU), Com. Usha Rani President, Harjeet Kaur General Secretary, Subhash Rani cashier and Krishna Kumari vice president Anganwadi Mulazam Union Punjab, Com. Chander Shekhar Vice president CITU Punjab.

COUNTRYWIDE PREPARATIONS FOR “JAIL BHARO” ON 8TH NOVEMBER


Hectic preparations are going on in every industrial centre and other workplaces in the country to make the “Jail Bharo” agitation on 8th November, a great success with massive participation.

The call for the countrywide programme was given by the national convention organized by all the Central Trade Unions and National Federations of employees in various sectors, held in New Delhi on 7th September. The Central TUs involved in the campaign are BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA.

The present phase of agitation will see massive participation in all centres as preparatory campaigns have been conducted during the last few weeks.

State level conventions have been held in all the major states. Leadership level meetings at state and district level have been held to coordinate the preparations. Hand bills and posters have been published jointly by unions. Many of the unions have conducted campaign among workers in their area.

Though the Central Trade Unions have been agitating for the last two years, Govt of India has not done anything on these important demands. On the other hand, prices of petrol have been raised many times. Even now, in addition to further increase in prices of petrol, Govt of India wants to increase prices of diesel, LPG and kerosene. With prices of all essential items shooting up, the lives of working people have been put to peril.

With the UPA govt, going ahead with their neo liberal agenda, workers all over the country are agitated. Already Coal workers have gone on a countrywide strike. BSNL employees have declared a one-day strike against so called voluntary retirement scheme to send out nearly a lakh of workers. Bank employees are agitating over retrograde amendments on banking regulations. Countrywide agitations are being conducted by state and central Govt employees against denial of pension benefits. There have been struggles in different parts of the country against denial of trade union rights and against large scale vitimisations. It is in these circumstances, the joint movement is being organized.

The demands are not that of the workers and employees alone. These include the demands of all sections of ‘Aam Admi’ in the country. The demands for the court arrest programme are the following

• Concrete measures to contain price rise,

• Concrete measures for linkage of employment protection with the concession/incentive package offered to the entrepreneurs,

• Strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws,

• Universal social security cover for the unorganized sector workers without any restriction and creation of a National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation of NCEUS and Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour,

• Stoppage of disinvestment in central and state PSUs,

• No contractorization of permanent/ perennial nature and till then payment of wages and benefits to the contract workers at the same rate as available to regular workers of the industry/ establishment,

• Amendment of Minimum Wages Act to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs 10,000/- per month with indexation,

• Remove all ceilings on payment and eligibility of Bonus, Provident Fund; Increase the quantum of gratuity,

• Assured Pension for all,

• Compulsory registration of trade unions within a period of 45 days and immediate ratification of the ILO Conventions nos 87 and 98

The convention on 7th September has also called upon the workers to be prepared for a countrywide general strike after the “Jail Bharo” agitation.

Unitedly Protest Petrol Price Hike

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

By announcing yet another price hike of petrol by Rs. 1.80 per litre, the UPA government has once again displayed its shocking callousness at the plight of the people. On the same day the price hike was announced the food inflation rate touched 12.21 per cent.
The government’s deregulation of petrol pricing is responsible for the fuelling of the price hike of essential commodities and inflation. The hoax of the pricing according to the market has been exposed as the international oil prices have fallen considerably in the recent period.
The Polit Bureau calls upon all its Party units to protest against this intolerable burden being imposed on the people. United protests should be launched including mass pickettting.