Farmers’ Convention in Bihar
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and Kisan Sangharsh Morcha organised a kisan sammelan on 24 June in Patna on the issues of MSP, Food Security and Loan Waivers for the farmers. The convention was attended by more than 1200 representatives of various constituent farmers organisations and addressed by many national as well as state level farmers’ leaders. The convention passed a 24-points demand charter for Bihar.
The convention participants were welcomed by the AIKM (Kisan Mahasabha) leader Rajendra Patel who also proposed for a 11-member presidium for the convention. The convention raised the demands of legal guarantee of MSP, complete loan waiver, Food security for all, Kisan Pension for farmers and agricultural workers, universal and effective crop insurance, restoration of APMC Mandis in Bihar, restarting closed sugar mills in Bihar, benefits of all government schemes to the sharecropper farmers, and permanent solutions to the perennial problem of drought and floods in the state.
The convention also raised the important demand of withdrawing the Forest (Conservation) Amendment rules 2023 immediately.
The farmers present raised the demand for at least Rs. 10 per litre government subsidy for the milk producer farmers. The demand of completion/repair of incomplete or abandoned or dilapidated irrigation infrastructure and projects was also raised along with the demand for immediate stop to the forcible land acquisition of arable lands.
The convention included guaranteeing the minimum 200 days of work and Rs. 600 per day wage under MNREGA along with many other demands in the farmers’ charter.
The convention was addressed by AIKM General Secretary Rajaram Singh, AIKS national secretary Viju Krishnan, AIKMS national secretary Ashish Mittal and other leaders.
A Bihar level agitational schedule of programmes has been decided by the farmers which will begin from 1 July with district level farmers conventions and rallies, a campaign ‘Oust Corporate, Save India’, Kisan Yatras in September, and a mahadharna in capital Patna in the last week of November. AIKM leader Umesh Singh said that the Convention resolved to commemorate 15 August as ‘Azadi Bachao Diwas’ against continuing attacks on federalism, the Constitution and secular fabric of the society.
