Ashok Dhawale, Vijoo Krishnan
THE Central Kisan Committee (CKC) meeting of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) held from June 28-30, 2025 at the E K Nayanar Academy, Kannur, Kerala, decided to hold massive protests on July 9 along with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) at the tehsil level, and work actively to make the General Strike called by the Central Trade Unions (CTUs) a massive success.
The meeting discussed the grim agrarian scenario in the country, and the anti-farmer, pro-corporate policies of the BJP-led NDA government. It also noted that the Congress-led state governments in Karnataka, Telangana etc are carrying forward the BJP government's policies like Labour Codes, 12-hour work day, land acquisition and so on.
STRIKE CAMPAIGN
The meeting highlighted the main issues which the AIKS will take up in the campaign for the July 9 General Strike. It warned against the moves of the Modi regime to sign Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with UK (already signed), USA, EU, etc., which surrender the interests of farmers, workers and MSME entrepreneurs, violate federal principles and keep Parliament in the dark. These FTAs will drastically reduce or eliminate import duties on key agricultural products like dairy and others, sounding the death-knell for millions of Indian farmers.
US President Donald Trump had the temerity to declare on June 26 that a “very big” deal is coming up with India. He said, during an event at the White House that “We’re having some great deals. We have one coming up, maybe with India, a very big one, where we’re going to open up India.” (The Hindu, June 28, 2025). There has been deafening silence from the Modi administration on these obnoxious remarks of Donald Trump. The reason is obvious.
The AIKS also decided to fight on issues like demanding the withdrawal of the anti-worker Labour Codes, opposing electricity privatisation and smart meters, and on other burning issues of farmers and agricultural workers like MSP, loan waiver, crop insurance, land rights, MNREGA, increased pensions, and a host of local issues.
The AIKS meeting attacked the central government for not ensuring the safety of the people and protection of farmland from the wild animal menace. It condemned the BJP government's refusal to amend the Wild Life Protection Act. It called upon broad-based united action groups to resist wild animal attacks on human habitats.
All the above burning issues of the peasantry will be highlighted by the AIKS in its ongoing countrywide campaign to ensure the success of the July 9 All India General Strike.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
A Cuba Solidarity campaign will be held from 26 July to 5 August against US sanctions. A Solidarity Fund will be collected and handed over to Cuba.
In the next few months, an All India Land Rights Convention will be held in Jharkhand after state-level land rights conventions are completed by September-end; state conventions of peasant women and peasant youth will be organised by December-end; and the All India Organisational Convention will be held in Andhra Pradesh in January 2026.
With all the above, local struggles on peasant issues will be given primacy, along with the constant campaign against communalism, and the stress on strengthening the organisation.
For the construction of the new AIKS Central Office in New Delhi, to be called the Major Jaipal Singh Bhawan, a sum of One Crore Rupees, collected from the people by all primary units of the Kisan Sabha in Kerala, was handed over by the leadership of the Kerala Karshaka Sangham (AIKS) to the All India AIKS leadership amidst resounding slogans. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Telangana have completed their fund quotas. Other states will fulfil them soon.
The AIKS crossed a new milestone in this meeting. After steadily increasing its reach, its membership increased from 1 crore 17 lakh five years ago to 1 crore 53 lakh this year, spread across 27 States including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This year’s membership will be finalised soon. Kerala with nearly 70 lakh, West Bengal with nearly 45 lakh, and Tamil Nadu with 10 lakh membership which it crossed for the first time, are today the three leading states in membership in the country. Many other states have also increased their reach.
This memorable CKC meeting officially began on June 29 with the flag-hoisting by AIKS President Ashok Dhawale and floral tributes to the martyrs’ column. This meeting was very well-attended, with 20 of the 21 central office bearers and 71 of the 78 CKC members present.
AIKS Vice President E P Jayarajan, Chairperson of the Reception Committee, made the welcome speech. CKC member Manoj Kumar placed the condolence resolution. Ashok Dhawale delivered the presidential address, laying out the key political challenges of today and the major tasks ahead. He pinpointed the danger of imperialism and Zionism in the international sphere, and the corporate-communal BJP-RSS regime in the national sphere.
Thereafter, AIKS General Secretary Vijoo Krishnan presented the draft report, which analysed the current developments in the agrarian sector and the intensifying economic crisis that continues to grip workers and peasants across the country. The report critically noted the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom and the grave threat of the impending agreement with the United States, scheduled to be signed by July 9.
The CKC meeting deliberated on strategies to intensify struggles in defence of farmers' rights, resist pro-corporate policies and the communal drive of the BJP-RSS regime, and strengthen unity with the working class to confront the anti-people direction of the BJP-RSS regime.
AIKS Finance Secretary P Krishna Prasad placed the accounts and also made important suggestions about finances.
On June 30 evening, an impressive rally and public meeting was held at Kannur. E P Jayarajan presided over the public meeting, which was addressed by Vijoo Krishnan, Ashok Dhawale, AIKS Vice President Amra Ram, MP, AIKS Kerala President M Vijayakumar, General Secretary Valsan Panoli, and Joint Secretary Prakashan Master. All the speakers conveyed the main decisions of the meeting and also spoke of the political challenges in Kerala and the country.
On June 28, over 70 members of the CKC were given a warm reception by the Kerala Karshaka Sangham. The CKC members visited historical sites of peasant resistance and martyrdom against feudal landlords and British imperialism in northern Kerala – Karivellur and Kayyur – which hold a proud legacy in the history of the peasant movement in India.
The AIKS Kerala state committee, and especially its Kannur unit, had made excellent arrangements for this meeting, and the CKC congratulated and thanked all of them profusely.
