TCN News
New Delhi: On November 20, Kisan Mukti Sansad started after completing Kisan Mukti Yatra of more than 10 thousand kilometers by All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee in 19 states. Since morning, several thousand farmers started marching with flags and sloganeering from Ramlila ground, Ambedkar Bhavan, Gurudwara Rakabganj and different railway stations to reach Kisan Mukti Sansad at Parliament Street. The Sansad started with paying tribute to the farmers martyred in Mandsaur and other police firings, to farmers committed suicide, and to farmers of Yavatmal, who died due to pesticide poisoning.
VM Singh, convener of AIKSCC, welcomed the farmers arrived for Kisan Mukti Sansad, and said that farming has become a loss making activity which was beneficial before. “That’s why we are reminding the Prime Minister of this country about his promises of farm loan waiver and assurance of doubling farmer’s income. All the previous farm loans must be waived off. PM has to fulfill the promises when farmers showed faith in him during elections,” said Singh.
Medha Patkar, leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan and National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), chaired the assembly of 545 women of families of farmer’s committed suicide and many other women farmers in the Parliament. Kavita Kurungati, a women farmer, and convener of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) put forward the issues of women farmers in detail and emphasized on the need of passing the bill for loan waiver and ensuring prices of farm produce at least raises to 1.5 times of the input cost.
A press statement issued by the NAPM said, “It was shocking to hear the stories shared by women of the farmer’s families, who committed suicide. They felt for the first time that someone is listening to their grievances and now hopeful that no other family will face the consequences, which they have suffered due to farmer’s suicide. Farmers will not commit suicide but will resist now for their demands, asserted by them.”
Medha Patkar said that this is a historic moment when women from all over the country have gathered for their parliament and not only they are discussing their issues but also putting forward the bill to Kisan Mukti Sansad, aimed at bettering lives of farmers, peasants, farm workers, adivasis, landless, tenant farmers, fishworkers. She said that government has displaced more than 10 crores farmers from all over the country including farmers of Narmada Valley without complete rehabilitation. Putting forward the need of Alternative development policy, she declared the current policy disastrous for farmers, workers and others. “We want development for all, not the disaster,” said Medha Patkar.
Women farmers raised their hands and approved the bill to be produced. Hannan Mollah, president of AIKS, presented the Farmer’s Freedom From Debt Bill, 2017 and former MP, and Raju Shetty, MP and president of Swabhimani Shetkaari Sangathan, presented the Krishi Upaj Labhkari Moolya Guarantee Bill.
VM Singh felicitated Raju Shetty for joining AIKSCC leaving the ruling alliance of Maharashtra Government and contributing significantly in farmer’s movement of Maharashtra, and former MLA Amra Ram for contributing significantly in farmer’s movements of Rajasthan.
Hannan Mollah said that the government has looted the farmers by paying them less continuously and forced them into debt. This in turns caused the suicide of more than 5 lakh farmers in the country. Now, any small loan waivers cannot work for farmers, we need a comprehensive bill to ensure freedom from debt cycle for farmers.
MP Raju Shetty said that we will not spare anyone found cheating farmers. We, the farmers, have the capability to overturn the ruling govt. Three years before, No political party has got clear mandate in the parliament. It is only because of farmer’s faith, Narendra Modi was able to come with clear majority on the promises of raising farmer’s income to minimum 1.5 times of the cost. We will not sit down quietly now. Raju Shetty shared that the date of Kisan Mukti Sansad was decided accordingly so that we will be able to raise our voices both inside and outside the Parliament. But now the Prime Minister fled. He is afraid to face the Parliament and the farmers from all across the country.
Yogendra Yadav, leader of Jai Kisan Andolan and Swaraj Abhiyan declared the Kisan Mukti Sansad a milestone in the history of farmers’ movements while addressing the crowd. “This is the first time when farmers bearing red and green flags come together and it has become a rainbow when yellow and blue flag bearers also joined. Farmers have faced a lot of betrayal before from politicians and the government but this is not going to happen anymore,” said Yadav.
Rajaram Singh, president of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Mahasabha and former MLA, said that Govt. is continuously running anti farmers policies in the country, giving profits to corporates and loss to farmers. Butta Singh Burjgil, Secretary of Bhartiya Kisaan Union (Dakaunda), said that the congress party promised to waive off the farmers loan in their manifesto but after a long struggle by our organizations, the committee formed in the chairmanship of Dr. Haq only waived off crop loan of farmers having land less than 5 acres and aggregated crop loan principal amount and interests together less than 2 lakhs. That too it is being kept for only those farmers who have taken loan from cooperatives which results into less than 10% of farmers indebted in Punjab from farm loans. This is again causing distress among farmers and pushing them towards suicide.
V. Venkat Ramiyaa, secretary of AIKMS, said that Govt. promised to double the income of farmers whereas they are actually keeping the support prices lower than the actual cost. 9 crops among 17 crops are kept lower than the CASP production cost. Central Govt. is not implementing their promise of doubling the farmer’s income and due to this farmers will only fall into debt trap. Thus we are demanding comprehensive loan waiver.
Dr. Sunilam, executive secretary of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, national convener of National Alliance of People’s Movements, and former MLA, said that Prime Minister promised to double the farmer’s income but due to GST and demonetisation, already the farmer’s income are on decline. “In the last three years, public sector loans have increased to 10.65 crores from 8.11 lakh crores. This is happening contrastingly when farmers have raised the production of fruits, vegetables, and crops by 1.5 times to 534 crore tons in the last decade.”
Sunilam said, “The central government is finishing farmers and villages by imposing Modani Model on them. Whoever challenges the government, they kill them in police firings as they did in Multai, Mandsaur and other places.” He also said that farmers were on the forefront in India’s independence struggle. Now again, 184 farmer’s organizations have united for historic farmers struggle which can be seen as a formation of new energy and hope among the farmers of this country.
During the Kisan Mukti Sansad, people demanded unconditional and immediate release of Akhil Gogoi, leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, who is imprisoned for one year under the sedition charges and National Security Act. People called it murder of democracy and dissent. The farmer organizations come from different parts of country have declared that they will form committees in their states and fight for the release of Akhil Gogoi.
Representatives from 184 farmer’s organizations from 25 states expressed their views in Kisan Mukti Sansad. Satyan, Ashish Mittal, Rampal Jat, Avik Saha, Kiran, Sachin Ghade (Lok Sangharsh Morcha), Shetkari Sabha, K Putnaiyaa, KRSSMLA, Chukki Nanjul, Swami Shivappa, Vednata (KMSS, Assam), former MP Shekh Abdur Rehman (J&K), Prof. Prakash Prfle, Dr. A. K. Khan (Kisan Sangharsh Samiti), Adv. Aradhana Bhargava, Dilip Patidar (Mandsaur), Parmanand Patidar, Bhanuja (Raiyat Swaraj Vedike), Soma, Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch were among them.
Dr. Sunilam, Pratibha Shinde, Kavita kurungati, Dr. Darshan Pal, Ashish Mittal, Prem Singh Gehlavat, and Avik Saha (convener of Jai Kisan Andolan) moderated the Kisan Mukti Sansad.