A THREE-DAY (March 21-24) ‘Peoples Alternative Budget Session’ was held at Freedom Park, Bangalore. It was organised by Samyukta Horata Karnataka – a coordination committee of peasants, workers, dalits, students, youth, and mahila organisations.  Ruling party governments do not have any pro-people orientation. No discussion or debate takes place on any vital issue concerning people in the budget session of Karnataka legislature. Hence people’s organisations decided to organise the    ‘Peoples Alternative Budget Session’ and present its conclusions to the ruling and opposition parties. It was inaugurated by Yogendra Yadav, leader of Samyukta Kisan Morcha. Thousands of workers, peasants and others participated in the inaugural session.

Yogendra Yadav inaugurating the session referred to PM Modi’s statement that ‘MSP Thi, Hai aur Rahegi’. He said all that the farmers are asking is ‘please give it to us’.  He elaborated further on the big gap between the price a farmer is getting in the market and the declared MSP of paddy and ragi in Karnataka. He declared that SKM has given a call for a nation-wide week-long (April 11-17) protest struggle for legally guaranteed implementation of MSP. He requested the Samyukta Horata Karnataka to take up the struggle in Karnataka. Earlier he spoke of the achievements of the farmers movement.

U Basavaraj, secretary of the KPRS (state unit of AIKS) and the CPI(M) speaking at the session said that the BJP governments are behaving as slaves of the corporates. They are implementing anti-people policies to please the corporates. He listed a series of anti-people policies that affect various sections of people.

G C Bayyareddy, president of KPRS, demanded a repeal of amendments to laws related to APMC, land reforms, electricity privatisation and cattle slaughter, in the wake of Modi government repealing controversial central agri laws. He also demanded cancellation of licenses given to private agri markets.

CITU state general secretary Meenakshi Sundaram, Badagalapura Nagendra of KRRS, Kavitha Guraganti of other peasant organisations, DHS convener H Gopalakrishna, JMS president Devi, dalit organisations’ leaders Mavalli Shankar, Guruprasad Keregodu and leaders from other  organisations also spoke.

Three sessions on amendments to Land Reforms Act, APMC Act, Cattle Slaughter acts were held on March 22. Prof T R Chandrshekar, Dr Prakash Kamareddy, Dr C Raghu respectively presented papers on these laws and the session discussed the issues.  Prof Babu Mathew, Vasanth Kumar Hittanagi and Mythree Krishnan respectively held three more sessions on labour codes, social security and fair minimum wage on March 22.  Sessions were held on ‘SCP/TSP Plan allocations and implementation’ and ‘Women’s Issues’ on March 23. Prof Chandra Poojary and K S Vimala respectively presented papers in the sessions. Hundreds of peasants, workers and others participated in various sessions.

Conclusions of the all the sessions were presented in the final session on March 23.