Friday, November 4, 2011

6th State Conference of Jammu & Kashmir Kisan Tahreek





The two day state conference of J&K Kisan Tahreek was held at Khanabal (Ang) Kashmir on 29th and 30th of October 2011. The venue was chosen, keeping in view the historical importance of south Kashmir in relation to the struggle of peasantry during and immediately  after the autocratic rule of the Maharajas and their feudal chiefs. 

  The conference began with a huge public rally in the morning of 29th October at Dakbanglo Khanabal. The rally was addressed  by a number of prominent Kissan leaders, including the  state president and the general secretary . The lecture session was opened by com.M. Afzal,  the regional secretary Kashmir province. He underscored the importance of the kisan movement in J & K and highlighted the role of small and marginal farmers in the overall transformation of the society under the changed socio-economic scenario. Com. Abdul Hamid Wani, senior leader of the organization in his lecture described the kisan movement, a struggle which goes beyond the political borders and boundaries. Wani asserted that despite some set backs the ongoing struggle of the working class alone can help in uplifting the farmer community and enable them to live a dignified life.
 

The state general secretary, Malik Ghulam Nabi in his address underlined the challenges before the farmer community in the country, especially in J & K. He alleged that solutions and remedies proposed by the government for the problems faced by farmers, are practically proving counterproductive and against the interests of the poor and the marginal farmers.
 
The well known national level kisan leader, Com. Noorul Huda severally criticized the neo liberal economic policies of the UPA government and said that their policies, in essence however favour the corporate sector and the big business at the cost of a common farmer and other toiling masses. He further stressed, that small and marginal farmers cannot hope to gain anything substantial from the policies of the present  Central government.
 
Com. Sham Prassad, a senior working class leader from Jammu region, who greeted the participants highlighted some specific problems faced by the poor kisans.
  


Com. M.Y. Tarigami the well known working class leader of the state and MLA, while addressing the kisan rally deplored the attitude of the government vis-a-vis farmers and the other working masses. He said, even the farmer friendly schemes by the central government have failed and could not benefit the farmers who are facing great odds. This he said is mainly due to poor implementation of the said schemes. When the farmers make a demand for meager subsidies, the governemnt says, it has no money to support the kisans. The same government however never rethinks when it comes to increasing the salaries and perks of the ministers creating huge and unproductive expenditure.  Tarigami strongly advocated the withdrawal of AFSPA and said that various political parties and the govt. are enacting an unnecessary drama and are politicizing and issue which is essentially humanistic.
 
Com. Kishore Kumar, president of J & K Kissan Tehrik concluded the open session of the conference by thanking the participants for attending the rally during a very busy harvest season and some trying circumstances. He hoped that the Kisan movement will strengthen its roots in J & K and will launch an organized result oriented struggle in the coming days.
 
 

The delegate session of the conference started in the afternoon, wherein 210 delegates and observers hailing from 14 out of 22 districts of the State participated. Com Noorul Huda inaugurated the session while Malik Ghulam Nabi presented the  general secretary’s report. The presidential  address was read by the senior leader Com Abdul Hamid Wani. Twenty delegates took part in the discussion on the general secretary’s report. In all ten resolutions on different subjects, including resolutions on  Universalisation of PDS, Human rights violations, Strengthening of Panchyati  Raj Institutions, Land Acquisitions and the Redressal of problems of Gujjars and Bakarwals .

 
On 30th October after the reply of general secretary, the report was unanimously adopted. A 45 member State Working committee was elected with Com. Kishore Kumar as President, Malik Ghulam Nabi as General Secretary and Ghulam Rassol Ghanai as its treasurer.
 
In his concluding address Com M.Y.Tarigani emphasized the importance of building a strong Kisan movement in J & K. He stressed that the Kisan Movement alone can create a favourable atmosphere for the genuine democratic movement in the state.
          
Earlier on the eve of the conference a major rally was organized in which thousands of kisans coming from length and breadth of the State participated. The rally was addressed by AIKS leader Noorul -Huda, General Secretary Kisan Tehreek G. N. Malik, President Kisan Tehreek Kishore Kumar and veteran Kisan leader Abdul hamid Wani. Besides M Y Tarigami, State Secretary CPI(M) also addressed the rally.  Accusing the successive governments of disappointing the peasant community in J&K, they cautioned that the state could witness a strong protests if the farmers are deprived of their rights. They deplored that despite much publicized economic growth in the country, the poor, especially the small farmers have become poorer and their condition is getting miserable”. “If the situation continues to be like that, the day is not far when the farmers will come on streets to fight for their rights and we will witness serious protests,” they emphasized.

 

In his address State Secretary CPI (M) M Y Tarigami said that only a strong and organized Kisan movement can force the government to settle the issues of the peasantry.  Expressing disappointment over the rampant corruption in the state, Tarigami said, “The corruption is at its peak in the state. It is irony that the government has no money when it comes to subsidy and other benefits to farmers but for the salary hike of ministers and MLAs it has always enough funds in the Sate exchequer”. He said the corruption is so rampant that a common man cannot get ration card without giving bribe. “The schemes are formulated but are never implemented on ground. Even in the case of centrally sponsored schemes like NREGA, a villager has to pay a bribe and then get a job card,” he added.

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