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Over 1,000 leading activists from Thane-Palghar districts of Maharashtra assembled at the Comrade Godavari Shamrao Parulekar Bhawan at Talasari on October 10, 2020 to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Warli Adivasi revolt and the formation of the Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha.
The event organised by Thane-Palghar District Committees of the Communist Party of India (Marxist (CPI(M)) and the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) also marked the twenty-fourth death anniversary of Communist and AIKS leader Godavari Parulekar on October 10, 1996.
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AIKS President Ashok Dhawale presided over the function. He congratulated the Warli community for continuing their struggle for their rights for 75 years.
“Thane-Palghar is one of the few areas in India that continues its rights struggle with freedom fighters from the new generation as well,” he said.
He reminded the audience that their grievances will never be addressed without demonstrating their unrest. In the same vein, he also reminded people that it is necessary to identify the enemy to express unrest against.
The three main speakers at the event were renowned journalist and ‘PARI’ founder P. Sainath, JNU Professor Archana Prasad and former General Secretary of the All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) Dinesh Abrol.
P. Sainath talked about the three agrarian laws forcibly passed by the Centre and talked about their potential impact on the Adivasi community by way of wages. Talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises of doubling farmers’ income, Sainath warned that the government could not achieve this without addressing the pressing issue of farmers’ debts.
“If you really want to increase their income, waive the farmers’ debt by 100 percent,” he said.
He pointed out that Adivasi farmers do not have the sufficient surplus to take to the APMCs.
While talking about the revolt, the professor said that books that record the historical event are necessary to keep the movement going. She said the book contributed in keeping the voice of the Adivasis alive.
“It is important to keep history alive to keep the rebellion alive,” said Prasad.
Accordingly, the event also served as the release of her book ‘Red Flag of the Warlis: History of an Ongoing Struggle’ translated by Maya Pandit and Uday Narkar. A stall of the above books, as well as Godavari Parulekar’s famous book ‘Adivasis Revolt’ and other Party books was set up by AIDWA activists.
Veteran AIKS leaders L B Dhangar and Lahanu Kom, CITU state vice president Mahendra Singh, former AIKS state president J P Gavit ex-MLA and others spoke at the event as well.
Related:
Godavari Parulekar: A source of inspiration for the Warli community
The Adivasi communist who made it to the Maha assembly
80 Years and Fighting: All India Kisan Sabha in Today’s Moments of Agrarian Distress