Agrarian Issues

Alternative Agricultural Policies Necessary for Development of Bihar

THE All India Kisan Sabha and the Prantiya Khetihar Mazdoor Union have jointly organised a one-day seminar on alternative agricultural policies for the development of Bihar in the era of neo-liberalism. From all accounts, it was a very rich experience where veterans of peasant movements were joined by Patna-based intellectuals and teachers who were unanimous that the agricultural scenario and the development of Bihar is intrinsically linked with the successful implementation of land reform.

AIKS Expresses Concern over GM Mustard

THE All India Kisan Sabha in a statement issued on February 4, notes with concern that the minister of environment and forests is pursuing aggressively for commercial release of GM mustard without carrying out stringent bio-safety tests. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is meeting on February 5 to take a decision on the matter. It is to be noted that there is no stringent fool-proof regulatory regime to look into transgenics and possible impact on bio-safety and bio-diversity.

AIKS Castigates Modi Govt for Increasing Agrarian Distress

THE Central Kisan Committee of the All India Kisan Sabha met in New Delhi on January 30-31, 2016. The meeting was presided over by Amra Ram, president, All India Kisan Sabha. Members from 15 states attended the meeting. The CKC discussed the agrarian situation in the country and noted with concern the increasing agrarian distress and farmers suicides. It also noted that the world economic crisis is leading to further burdens for the peasantry and toiling masses and the policies of different governments are leading to increasing inequalities of income and wealth.

AIAWU to Hold National Seminar on Govt’s Attack on Social Welfare

THE All India Agricultural Workers Union has decided to organise a national seminar highlighting the government attacks on social security apparatus in the country. The central working committee that met at Vijayawada on January 17-18 decided to launch a two month long campaign on social security related issues throughout the country. While placing the report before the CWC, Vijayaraghavan, general secretary, said that the Indian agriculture over the last one year is facing severe crisis which has impacted the employment opportunity for agricultural workers seriously.

What Farmers Need is Insurance from Govt Policies

THE Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme (PMCIS) was announced with much fanfare as the panacea for all risks faced by the farmers. Ironically, on the same day, news came out that in the year 2015 over 3,228 farmers had committed suicide in BJP-ruled Maharashtra. The phenomenon of farmers’ suicides has continued unabated for over two decades when the neo-liberal economic policies have been in operation. The ruling classes in a denial mode however, have sought to underplay the unprecedented human tragedy and linked farmers’ misfortunes to the weather gods.

Drought in Marathwada: Causes, Consequences and Remedies

MARATHWADA region has been reeling under drought condition since 2013. It is in a part of the scanty rainfall area of Central Maharashtra. The region coincides with the Aurangabad Division of Maharashtra. It includes districts of Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad, Nanded, Latur, Parbhani and Hingoli.  Out of these eight districts, five are the worst affected, namely Beed, Jalna, Parbhani, Nanded and Osmanabad. Marathwada region has a population of about 1.87 crore and geographical area of 64.5 thousand sq.km.

Distress Sale Ends in Distress Suicide

THE only living being in the universe that can kill itself is mankind. It is not the manifestation of the instinct but a conscious destruction of the self. What kind of consciousness operates here? Does it happen at a juncture when death becomes more alluring than life? The answer shall be an emphatic ‘no’. Self-killing occurs only when man finds no other solution to the problems that make the life woeful.

EPIDEMIC OF

FARMER SUICIDE

AIKS & AIAWU Demand Relief Work on War Footing

THE All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), in a statement issued in December 2, have expressed profound grief at the death of around 200 people in continuing heavy rains in Tamil Nadu, particularly in the northern and coastal districts. The rains have broken a hundred year record for the month of November and created havoc in Chennai and other coastal cities. Houses, roads, railway stations and even the airport are submerged.  Life has come to a standstill.

Rubber Growers Co-ordination Committee Calls for Protests on Jan 2

IN the context of prolonging crisis due to declining commodity price, and rising peasant suicides, rubber farmers from four major rubber producing states held parliament march and dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on December 1. The farmers demanded the parliament to enact law to protect the small and marginal rubber growers from corporate exploitation. The dharna was inaugurated by Hannan Mollah, ex-MP and general secretary of the AIKS.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Agrarian Issues