THE fourth state conference of All India Kisan Sabha, Andaman and Nicobar unit was held in North and Middle Andaman district’s sub-divisional town at Diglipur, on March 17, 2017. The Diglipur town has been dressed up with red banners, red hoardings and Kisan Sabha red flags to welcome the delegates to the conference, who had come from all over Andamans. The venue of the conference was name after the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Comrade Fidel Castro Ruz Nagar (Subhashgram Panchayat Hall) and the hall was named after the two veteran leaders of AIKS (national vice president and joint secretary respectively) Comrade Binoy Konar and Comrade Samar Baora Manch.

The proceedings of the conference began with the AIKS flag hoisting by Madan Ghosh, national vice president of AIKS. It was followed by offering of floral tributes to the Martyrs Column.

The condolence resolution was moved by Tapan Bepari.

The conference was inaugurated by Madan Ghosh. He highlighted the plight of small and marginal farmers of the country who are always at the receiving end of the crisis. He criticised the Modi government for backtracking from its pre-election promises made to the farmers. He also came down heavily on the Modi government for its anti-peasant policies and growing climate of intolerance in the country. Further he noted with deep anguish that the farmers have lost interest in cultivation of various crops, due to the policies of the government which have made it unremunerative.

Thereafter the conference was greeted by D Laxman Rao, secretary of CPI(M) state committee, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and KG Das, secretariat member of CPI(M) state committee.

At the outset, secretary Gouranga Majhi presented the report to the conference about the activities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands against the crisis ridden neo-liberal policies of the central government and the Andaman and Nicobar Adminstration.

20 delegates participated in the discussion on the secretary’s report and enriched it by concrete suggestions and criticism based on their experiences.

In the absence of finance secretary, the secretary placed the accounts to the conference. Thereafter the secretary’s report with the suggestions and 41 resolutions were adopted in the delegate session.

The fourth conference unanimously elected 40 members to the kisan committee, Andaman and Nicobar Islands unit, which met immediately afterwards under the presidium and elected 11 office bearers (functioning as state unit). In the meeting, Tapan Kumar Bepari has been elected as president.

The credential report placed by Nikunja Biswas showed that 80 delegates were present: male-54 and femanle-23, OBC-44, general-21 and minority-15. No Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes are declared or recognised by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration except the Nicobaris, Shompen, Jaraw, Andamanis, Ongies and Sentinalies.

On the last of the conference, a mass rally was held at Subhash Bazar, Diglipur which was addressed by Madan Ghosh, KG Das, D Laxman Rao, Tapan Kumar Bepari. It was presided over by Dr Gouranga Majhi.