[Reader-list] Attacks on Agricultural Workers in WB

[A. Mani]

Apart from the violence and vendetta unleashed by the TMC on the Left....

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LEFT peasants’ organisations in West Bengal will launch a statewide
movement to defend the rights and livelihood of the peasants. They
will build up the movement with the support of the trade unions,
students, youth and women organisations.

West Bengal Provincial Kisan Sabha (Harekrishna Konar Memorial
Bhavan), Agragami Kisan Sabha, Sanjukta Kisan Sabha and West Bengal
Provincial Kisan Sabha( BB Ganguly Street) have decided to launch a
powerful joint movement. Two conventions will be held on September 11
and 14 respectively in Kolkata and Siliguri to highlight the plight of
the peasants in the state.



Briefing about the outline of the movement, Madan Ghosh, president of
West Bengal Provincial Kisan Sabha (Harekrishna Konar Memorial
Bhavan), said the peasants were very seriously affected by neo-liberal
policies of centre. The cost of agricultural inputs have increased
manifold. The decontrol policy pursued by the centre has resulted in
increased price of fertilizer, seeds, pesticides. The diesel, needed
for irrigation, has become too costly. In such a situation the
peasants are not getting remunerative prices for their produces. For
example, the jute producers are not getting enough price to meet their
costs. There is a threat of decreasing price for paddy too.



The condition of peasants in West Bengal has turned worse with
Trinamool- Congress alliance coming to power in the state. One of the
major crisis that has developed is the decreasing number of workdays
for agricultural workers. The rural employment programmes, including
MNREGA, have been halted in large areas.



Madan Ghosh also described the attacks on legal rights of the
peasants, unleashed in the last three months. The gains of the land
reforms are now being snatched away. Thirty activists of the Left
parties have been murdered, most of them peasants. More than 14,000
rural people have been forced to leave their villages. In a horrible
operation of collecting so-called ‘fines’ (which actually is
extortion), thousands of villagers are being forced to pay huge sums
to Trinamool gangs. An amount of more than Rs 2 crore has been
collected till date and many such incidents are as yet unreported.
More than one thousand acres of tenancy land has been forcefully
grabbed and 4700 title holders have been evicted from 2700 acres of
land. More than 14,000 peasants have been evicted from legal
operational control of 3490 acres of land and 3710 share croppers have
been driven out from 1587 acres.



Another new feature of the political attack is destabilising the
elected panchayat system in the state. Kishan Sabha leaders alleged
that elected panchayat members were not being allowed to function in
many places. In some districts, almost entire panchayat functioning
has been either stopped or forcefully usurped by unelected Trinamool
leaders. They were forcing the local administration to follow their
dictates. This is a full-fledged attack on decentralisation of power
in West Bengal, so fondly nurtured by the rural people.


The peasants will not tolerate such attacks on their rights and
livelihood silently, asserted  Kisan Sabha leaders. The movement will
be stepped up phase by phase.
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Report-2

PEASANTS in West Bengal have intensified their resistance against land
grabbing. Thousands of acres of land have been forcefully grabbed and
peasants evicted by older landowning classes with direct connivance of
Trinamool Congress. In many places, police actively helped the armed
land grabbers. As this was a complete new experience for the peasantry
after three decades of unquestioned land rights, initially they were
forced to step back.  But the situation has began to turn now, and
more and more villages have witnessed resistance and strong fight back
by the evicted peasants.



The latest event has taken place in Kamarkati in Burdwan district. The
old landlord family, suddenly reactivated by change of guard in
Writers’ Building, demanded that their land would have to be returned
back. Eighteen acres of land were distributed among the peasants
during the early period of Left Front government. It was not merely a
verbal threat. The paddy seeds were destroyed by tractor in one night.
The peasants, shocked and traumatised, sought the help of police. The
local police officers replied that the regime has changed and now the
landlord would be landlord again. There was frustration among 435
families who had legal rights over these lands. They felt that they
have lost everything. It is rainy season now in West Bengal and the
best period of sowing. It was the worst of nightmares.



But, the situation changed within few days. The villagers, even those
who have voted for Trinamool Congress, realised the nature of
catastrophe and decided to fight back. Once again they mobilised with
Red flags on their shoulders and recaptured a section of the land
grabbed by the landlord. Immediately, the peasants started sowing
again. The peasants were in good numbers and that forced the landlords
to stay back. Later, Trinamool Congress leaders came and threatened
the peasants with dire consequences. The peasants defied the threats
and hundreds more gathered to fetch the rest of the lands. On August
1, the poor peasants of Kamarkati won back the whole land. They were
joined by youths from agricultural workers’ families. The women played
a leading role in this courageous assertion of democratic rights. The
collective force of the peasants proved mightier than the armed gangs
of the landlords.



Kamarkati is an example. In last two months, 1200 bighas of land were
forcefully grabbed from 2200 peasants. The peasants have won back more
than 700 bighas through spirited struggle. The anti-land grabbing
resistance has spread in Mateswar, Memari, Galsi, Bhatar, Mangalkot,
Ketugram and other areas of Burdwan district. One of the fiercest
attacks that have come with the new government in the state was on the
gains of land reforms. It is not merely individual or sporadic
incidents, but a systematic attack on land rights of the poor,
marginal peasantry and share croppers. The peasants are now fighting
back this assault with determination.


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Best

A. Mani


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A. Mani
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