THE AIKS held a convention of 153 leading activists of the frontline states of the recently concluded farmers’ struggle, at the HKS Surjeet Bhawan in New Delhi on December 21. It was the first such convention after the victory and the suspension of the historic farmers’ struggle on December 11.

Ashok Dhawale, president of AIKS, referred to the great significance of the victory of this unprecedented farmers’ struggle over the forces of corporate communalism. Lauding the consistent contribution of the AIKS all over the country, he said that the AIKS was the only organisation in the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that had its red flag flying at all the six borders around Delhi. Taking the country as a whole, the AIKS mobilisation in all the SKM nationwide calls was by far the largest. 

Dhawale also congratulated the CITU, AIAWU, AIDWA, DYFI and SFI for their wholehearted support to, and participation in, this struggle throughout the country. Now the time has come for the rapid consolidation and expansion of the AIKS, for planning to renew the struggle for a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee and other demands, and also for strengthening the political battle for the defeat of the BJP-RSS not only in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab but also all over the country.    

AIKS general secretary, Hannan Mollah congratulated the leaders and activists of the AIKS, and also of all fraternal organisations, for their tremendous contribution to this struggle. He also stressed the importance of the united struggle of all the farmers’ organisations in the SKM, the valuable contribution of the trade unions, and also of other fraternal organisations. He said, the time has come for the rapid consolidation and expansion of the AIKS especially in the frontline states, and also all over the country. This must be achieved by a massive membership drive, rejuvenation of village units, struggles on local issues, political education of cadres, and a streamlining of the entire organisation before the coming AIKS all India conference in December 2022.

The convention was greeted by CITU president, K Hemalata, who stressed the need for worker-peasant unity and gave a call to make a great success of the January 19 joint agitation of the CITU-AIKS-AIAWU and the all India strike of February 23-24. The convention was also greeted by AIAWU general secretary B Venkat, AIDWA general secretary Mariam Dhawale, SFI general secretary Mayukh Biswas and DYFI president A Raheem.

CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury congratulated the AIKS for its significant and comprehensive contribution to this remarkable united farmers’ struggle, which forced the alliance of the BJP government and the corporate lobby to repeal the three disastrous farm laws. He also congratulated the CITU and all other fraternal organisations for their unstinting support of the struggle. He referred to the three-class and political implications of this struggle. One, the broad unity forged amongst all sections of the peasantry and the working class against the Modi regime and the corporates. Second, the intensifying contradiction between the big corporates and the micro, small and medium enterprises. Third, the political fallout, with the Akali Dal breaking away from the NDA, some other opposition parties supporting the farm laws in Parliament, yet also supporting the several struggle calls of the SKM. He said that the CPI(M) had played a consistent role throughout, not only being the first to support this struggle fully but also trying to get other opposition parties on board to support it on crucial occasions. He underlined that the struggle against the neoliberal, communal, and authoritarian policies of the BJP-RSS will continue with even greater unity, strength, and determination after this historic victory.

The convention felicitated the comrades from various states who had stayed at the Delhi borders for several months. The convention has resolved to make a great success of the Worker Peasant Unity Day on January 19 and the all India general strike and rural hartal on February 23-24. It has given a call for massive countrywide village-level campaigns explaining the significance of the victory. It has also resolved to build independent and joint struggles with AIKSCC/SKM based on all India demands and particularly on local issues. 

A concerted drive to ensure enrolment of maximum membership in all the states, streamlining of the entire organisation by conferences from unit to state-level which would culminate in the all India conference in Kerala in December 2022, identification and recruitment of cadres among youth, women and other sections, systematic political schooling from village to district and state level and strengthening of coordination with CITU and AIAWU at all levels in the direction of forging worker-peasant unity are the other resolutions passed in the convention.