Maha: Progressive Parties Plan Struggles on People’s Burning Problems
Uday Narkar
THE front of 13 Progressive Parties in Maharashtra has decided on a plan of united struggle around the burning problems of the people of Maharashtra, at a meeting held in Mumbai on July 23, 2023.These issues include remunerative price for agricultural produce, the issue of land rights, minimum wage and social security to agricultural labourers and unorganised workers, opposition to injustice and atrocities on women, dalits, adivasis, minorities and OBCs, the burning problems of PDS, price rise and unemployment, the crisis in the education and health spheres, the defence of constitutional values, and strong opposition to the communal and Manuwadi fascistic practices of the RSS-BJP.
The Progressive Parties will also lead an intensive campaign against the corrupt, immoral and discredited Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar state government and also the anti-people, pro-corporate, communal and authoritarian Modi-led BJP government at the centre.
It may be recalled that last month, on July 9-10, 2023, a 500-strong state level class of the above Progressive Parties in Maharashtra was successfully held at Pune.
The programme decided by the meeting of Progressive Parties is as follows:
1. Large public meetings in 15 major centres of Maharashtra from September 1 to October 8. These will take place in Kolhapur, Sangola, Solapur, Pune, Nandurbar, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nanded, Amravati, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Palghar, Panvel, and Mumbai.
2. Statewide jail bharo agitation on October 30. This will take place at the district and tehsil headquarters with the participation of thousands of people.
3. State level rally to Mantralaya (secretariat) on November 28 to coincide with the death anniversary of Mahatma Jotirao Phule, the champion of the peasantry and of the anti-caste struggle.
This programme was declared on behalf of the six-member core committee of the Progressive Parties, comprising Ashok Dhawale, Raju Shetty, Bhalchandra Kango, Jayant Patil, Abu Asim Azmi, and Hitendra Thakur.
This meeting was held in the office of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) in Mumbai. It was presided over by Ashok Dhawale of the CPI(M), and it was attended by S V Jadhav and Rajendra Korde of the PWP, Uday Narkar, S K Rege and Shailendra Kamble of the CPI(M), Subhash Lande and Madhukar Kadam of the CPI, Rahul Gaikwad and Anis Ahmed of the SP, Pratap Hogade and Prabhakar Narkar of the JD(S), Sham Gohil and Ajit Patil of the CPI(ML-L), Vijay Kulkarni of the Lal Nishan Party, Kishor Dhamale of the Satyashodhak Communist Party, Sandeep Jagtap of the Swabhimani Party, D Rajbar and Dipak Chougule of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party, and Mahendra Pandagle and Milind Gaikwad of the Republican Party of India (Secular).
SKM TO LAUNCH UNITED STRUGGLES
A preparatory meeting of several farmers' organisations to form the SKM in Maharashtra was held in Mumbai on July 24, 2023. Kisan organisations in the state who were active in their support to the historic Delhi farmers' struggle, and also those who were in the forefront of the victorious state-wide farmers' strike for loan waiver, attended this meeting. The meeting took the following important decisions.
On August 31 (date subject to hall availability) a large convention will be held in Mumbai which will declare the formation of the SKM Maharashtra chapter. Along with the central demands of the SKM like legal guarantee of MSP at one and a half times the comprehensive cost of cultivation, complete liberation from debt and Rs 5000 per month pension to farmers and agricultural workers above the age of 60, and a comprehensive crop insurance scheme to help farmers in distress due to natural calamities, the serious issues of farmers in Maharashtra will also be taken up for struggle in this convention.
The following campaign in August was decided: August 9 Quit India Day will be observed with demonstrations at district and tehsil levels as anti-corporate day; on August 14 public meetings and cultural programmes will be organised on the eve of independence day; on independence day, August 15, large local processions with the tricolour will be held.
In September and October, padayatras and jathas will take the SKM message and demands to the grassroots. From November 26-28, a massive three day and three night joint mahapadav by the SKM and the central trade unions (CTUs) will be held in Mumbai, as per the national call of both. It may be recalled that November 26, 2020 was the day the historic Delhi farmers' struggle began, combating severe repression by the BJP central and state governments. It was also the day of the all India strike by the CTUs, and it is also observed countrywide as constitution day.
An 11-member coordination committee of the SKM, comprising 11 major farmers' organisations, was unanimously elected in this meeting. The organisations include the AIKS, Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha, Shetkari Sabha, National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements, Lok Sangharsh Morcha, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Satyashodhak Shetkari Sabha, Sarvahara Jan Andolan, Maharashtra Rajya Shramik Shetkari Sabha, Kashtakari Sanghatana, and Samajwadi Kisan Sabha. Many other organisations have agreed to join the SKM. Their representatives will be included in the state council of the SKM.
To prepare the resolution and demands of the August 31st state convention of the SKM, a 10-member committee was elected, which comprised S V Jadhav, Pratap Hogade, Pratibha Shinde, Ajit Nawale, Rajan Kshirsagar, Ulka Mahajan, Kishor Dhamale, Yuvraj Gatkal, Subhash Kakuste, and Seema Kulkarni.
This SKM preparatory meeting was presided over by Ashok Dhawale of the AIKS, who placed the decisions of the SKM at the national level. The concluding speech was by Jayant Patil, MLC, of the Shetkari Sabha.
