IN a letter written to the chairperson of the National Commission for Women on June 22, Jharna Das Baidya, Rajya Sabha MP from Tripura, brought to her notice the most deplorable, unlawful and unscrupulous activity of Sushma Sahu, member of the National Commission for Women which is a statutory and prestigious autonomous body established under provision of the Indian constitution.

THE All India Kisan Sabha has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court on June 28 for adequate protection to the cause of the farmers, agriculturists and cattle traders etc, representing all who are not in a position to approach the Supreme Court for protection of their rights guaranteed under the Constitution. A brief summary of the petition is given below:

AMIDST countrywide protests by farmers demanding fixing minimum support prices according to Swaminathan Commission recommendation of cost of cultivation (C2)+50 per cent ie, at least 50 per cent over and above the cost of production, the BJP government has made a mockery of the peasantry by announcing MSP of kharif crops for 2017-18, which is even far below cost of production. AIKS, in a statement issued on June 19, has condemned this insensitive move and approach of the BJP government towards the plight of the peasantry.

ALL India Agricultural Workers Union joins the All India Kisan Sabha, All India Democratic Women’s Association, Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, CPI(M) and CPI in protesting against the government of India’s restrictions on selling of cattle from livestock markets all over the country to abattoirs.

Demands

1. Withdraw the anti farmer Central Notification banning cattle trade inside the cattle market.

2. The Government must give market price to the farmers and purchase unproductive cow, she buffalo and male cattle.

3. The Government must procure stray cattle and keep them on cow shelter without burdening the public.