JAMMU & Kashmir Kisan Tehrik, an affiliate of the AIKS held a one-day convention on December 27, 2020 at Gurjar Trust Channi Himmat, Jammu. The convention demanded for scrapping draconian three agriculture laws, Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 and legislation guaranteeing MSP. Hundreds of farmers and workers participated in the convention.

While addressing the convention, M Y Tarigami, leader of CPI(M) said that the Modi government brought three farm laws, first as ordinances, which were promulgated in June 2020, then these ordinances were presented as bills in parliament in September and pushed through bypassing all parliamentary procedures.

Further, Tarigami said that corporate companies and their international counterparts want to have their domination over the Indian economy in which they have the freedom to decide the price for the farm produce and the wage and working time of the workers. The multi-national corporations are always eyeing upon the domestic food market of Indians to pile up their food products for highest profiteering. And now by bringing three Farms Acts and four labour codes, the Modi government is facilitating the corporatisation of agriculture and the entire Indian economy with the back door entry of MNCs through corporate mergers and facilitating foreign direct investment. He said that prime minister’s stand: not to settle the farmers struggle and refusing repeal of laws, making it a prestige issue will lead to such a situation that more and more sections of the people will come forward and join the struggle. This stand exposes the image of Modi as a weak and helpless administrator under the corporate grip, unable to resolve the massive struggle of the farmers who are sitting in lakhs, day and night in the cold winter. Already 30 people have died in these ongoing protests due to accidents, hostile weather and illness. The cold-blooded mindset of the ruler will fall in front of the firm determination of the struggling masses, he said. This vital struggle of the farmers must be backed up and strengthened by the active solidarity and support from all other sections of the working people. The working-class movement has a special responsibility to not only support but to build a united struggle by bringing together the twin struggles against the farm laws and the labour laws he said.

Kishore Kumar, president, J&K Kisan Tehrik said that now the state governments are facing severe resource crunch and are forced to depend on the union government for financial support; this is the result of their surrender to the proposal of GST. In this situation, the working group of AIKSCC has decided to write to all the non-BJP chief ministers who had supported the struggle to have a summit on the question of GST, three Farms Acts and Electricity Amendment Bill. These farm laws are also against the paddy, vegetable and fruit growers of Jammu & Kashmir.

S P Kesar, regional secretary, CPI(M) said that the other important class aspect that has emerged is the growing convergence of the interests of the peasantry and the working class. The naked pro-corporate stance of the Modi government was exemplified in the three farm bills and the labour legislation, which was adopted in close succession during the last session of parliament, both the workers and the peasants are getting united to fight these twin onslaughts.

The convention passed a number of resolutions like solidarity and support to the farmers' agitation, a joint march of workers and farmers to Delhi, demanding an immediate repeal of all three Agri Laws, Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, legislation for MSP and early fruitful negotiation with farmers representatives.