PEASANTS and workers, the two major work-force of the country have shared the same platform, which inevitably may manifest a new stream of movements in the coming days, said Manik Sarkar. More than 500 kisan organisations representing different strata of farmers with different urge and variable interests have come together to one point i.e., repeal Farm Acts and roll back the Electricity Amendment Bill. In spite of the shrewd drive of the ruling power to create division among the kisans, and mud-slinging with fraudulent allegations, their unity has proved to be hard rock. The entire country stood in solidarity with this movement. Democratic and secular masses of the country are eagerly waiting to see the fallout of this determined kisan struggle and hoped that it would help emerge a qualitative change in the national polity.  Manik Sarkar was addressing the 21st Tripura state conference of All India Kisan Sabha in Agartala Town Hall on December 16.

The conference started after flag hoisting followed by paying homage to martyrs in front of the conference venue which was named after two departed peasant leaders, “Khagen Das-Bajuban Riyan Nagar”. The dais of the conference hall was named after a martyr kisan leader, “Tapas Sutradhar Manch”. A six-member presidium comprised Narayan Rupini, Aghore Debbarma, Jitendra Chowdhury, Pabitra Kar, Radha Debbarma and Narayan Deb presided over the conference. CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member, Manik Sarkar and Central Committee Member, Badal Chowdhury were also present in the conference.

While presenting the political-organisational report, Narayan Kar depicted the horrendous situation on which the conference was being held and outlined the course of future activities to organise the kisan masses. It would be suicidal to sit idle being scared of the terror of the ruling party. The kisan masses should be drawn to the streets on their own demands. Rampant misappropriation is going on in MNREGA wage, distribution of fertilizer, seed, insecticides, agri-equipments. All these are in the hands of BJP mandal committees instead of a government department. Genuine farmers are deprived of these inputs and compelled to collect those from the markets at an unbearably higher cost. The government does not repair the irrigation plants, which are lying inoperative for long period. Much a drumbeating was made with the crop-insurance, but the fact is that not a single kisan got the benefit. The government is cheating the farmers in the name of the introduction of paddy procurement through FCI. During a crucial period, the farmers hardly can get in touch with the staff of agriculture and FCI departments to sell their produce. Pauperised peasantry falls prey to the debt-trap of micro-finance companies who are looting away everything from the farmers. In a word, the agri-system of the state is on the verge of collapse.

Out of a total of 300 delegates who attended the conference, 16 delegates took part in the discussion on the draft report. They vividly depicted the ongoing miseries of the farmers and suggested joint movement with the other sections of the society who are also the victims of the present misrule.

The conference adopted resolution in solidarity with the struggling kisans in Delhi, demanding early elections in TTAADC and urban bodies and giving a call to the peasant masses for plunging into movement programme on 14 point charter of demands.

The main speaker of the conference Manik Sarkar termed Delhi kisan struggle as a struggle between millions of farmers versus handful corporates. The corporates are interested to exploit agri-fields. The BJP government,  which is fulfilling the interests of the corporates, were dictated by the later to pave the way for the smooth extension of their exploiting hands in agri-sector. Thus the three Farm Acts came up. This is a big protest movement one of the largest since independence seen in the country. The significant character of this struggle is that it received active support from wide sections of people including working-class and till now could not be deviated from the democratic path of struggle. 

Referring to the condition of the state peasantry, Manik Sarkar said, the peasants in Tripura are almost marginal farmers. There is hardly any rich peasant. The farmers’ wrath must be channelised in the path of movement on urgent local issues. Unity among AIKS, AIAWU and GMP must be cemented further and joint action programme must be built up. He urged upon the delegates to build farmers movement in a planned manner right from the block level.

The conference unanimously elected 115-member state committee which in its first meeting elected 17 members state secretariat and 31-member executive committee. Aghore Debbarma and Pabitra Kar were elected as new president and secretary respectively.