At a national convention of anganwadi workers and helpers at the Talkatora Stadium in the national capital, the workers said it was imminent for government to acknowledge their contribution in keeping children and their mothers healthy, more so after the Supreme Court judgement. They also demanded payment of gratuity to them.

Raising the slogans like ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, ‘Institutionalise ICDS’, the participants also demanded a legislation to ensure right to early childhood care, education and development for children under six with anganwadi centres as nodal agencies. The convention also demanded scrapping of the four labour codes. Rajya Sabha MPs John Brittas, A A Rahim and V Sivadasan, All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Vijoo Krishnan and others too expressed their solidarity at the convention.

Addressing the convention, renowned economist s Utsa Patnaik said pointed out the “deliberate attempts” by successive governments to weaken the ICDS that played an import important role in building a healthy workforce post- Independence. She said that the colonial rule of 200 years meant not only oppression of ordinary citizens, but also the killing of millions in orchestrated famines by restricting access of foodgrains to them.
“At least 10 million people died in Bengal famine in 1770. What must be noted that this famine alone wiped out one third of the entire population of Bengal. Yet, we have very few accounts where the horrors of famine are documented. Similarly, in 1943, Bengal faced another famine, which killed 3 million people. It was the experience of such famines that the governments in post-Independence India resolved to fight hunger and ensure elimination of malnutrition,” she said.

Patnaik said three decades of the new economic policy had brought a similar situation that was existing in 1947 in terms of per capita foodgrain consumption.

“This grim situation arrived because governments revoked the protections enjoyed by common farmers and workers. Our governments signed free trade agreements with many countries. In international markets, prices of foodgrains are very volatile. Earlier, we could not export foodgrains until our demands under the Public Distribution System (PDS) were met. Now, with the protections revoked, our traders can export without fulfilling domestic demand and that results in shortfall of foodgrains,” she added.
In her address, A R Sindhu, national secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said it was the anganwadi workers who know that the country may face a similar situation like the famine in 1770 if the problem of malnutrition and hunger is not prioritised.

“Our Prime Minister is visiting every country to declare that we have become a global leader, whereas we are working with empty stomachs and our children are malnourished and stunted. Anaemia among mothers has increased by 8% in past three years,” she said, adding that ICDS was going to complete 50 years this year and there had to be an evaluation “if we need a more comprehensive scheme to ensure proper nutrition of our children.”

“Our budget has been cut year-on-year. The last increase in allocation toward payment to anganwadi workers and helpers was in 2018. Similarly, the last increase toward procurement of ration in anganwadi centres was in 2017,” Sindhu said.

The CITU leader said, “without ICDS, our children can’t stand on their feet. Around eight lakh children died due to malnutrition. In other words, 20,500 children are dying each day due to malnourishment. This is not my data. It has been provided by the government. So, we must understand the importance of this scheme.”

Highlighting the exploitation of anganwadi workers by the governments, Sindhu said, “If they need assistance in collecting the data for Census, we would be summoned. If they need to count cattle, we will be called. For any survey, we may be summoned. We are even being told to manipulate the data through Poshan tracker. In Covid, everyone received ration through PDS. Now they (government) are hell bent on denying ration to people. If your Aadhaar is not linked to your ration card, you may be denied ration. Your photo has to be clicked with GPS location and uploaded on this tracker. You have to click the photo of a three-month child and after three months, if child’s face is not recognised by the software, the beneficiary may be denied ration and the workers’ salary may also be cut. This is why we need to fight.”

Sharing her experience of the working conditions, Sangeetaben Dave, who came from Rajkot in Gujarat, told NewsClick that anganwadi workers of the state fought a long legal battle to secure their gratuity. However, the struggle was now concentrated on ensuring minimum wages.

“The Gujarat High Court has told the state government to pay us gratuity. The payment of gratuity automatically recognises us as full-time workers, not scheme or contract workers. Thus, we are demanding a full-fledged salary of Rs 26,000 per month. Officially, we work for six hours a day. However, our sisters work round the clock, from filling the registers to uploading the data for every assigned task. If you are taking the work of a full-time workers, why are you not paying us the salary?” she added.

When asked about their honorarium, Dave said ICDS was sponsored by both the state government and the Union government. “The Gujarat government has increased our remuneration but the Centre has not increased a single penny after 2018. (Prime Minister) Modi ji talks about women’s empowerment but he is depriving us of our rightful dues. They depute us in Census and election duties. They even summon us to fill the stadium when PM Modi visits the state.” She added.

Kashi Vishwakarma, who came from Katni, Madhya Pradesh, said workers were concerned over privatisation of the scheme.

“The government had announced five years ago that the nutritious supplementary material in Madhya Pradesh will be provided by self-help groups and women’s cooperatives. However, it is supplied through a big company in Devas. Big NGOs have been handed over the contract to supply the cooked material. The entire exercise is defeating the purpose of empowering women,” she added.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Dallewal, president, of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) has been observing fast unto death for 28 days to press the government to ensure minimum support price (MSP) as per the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations and one-time debt relief from government banks and private moneylenders. There were reports of widespread protests on Monday in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu to Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Farmers organisations are also enraged over arrests and registration of alleged fake FIRs in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh where they have been demanding development of 10% residential plots given in lieu of land procured for residential societies and industries. The protesting farmers also burnt a copy of the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing which they alleged was “the return of the repealed farm laws through backdoor.”

Kuldeep Singh, who was part of the protesting farmers in Jogindernagar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, told NewsClick  over the phone that they submitted a memorandum to President of India Droupadi Murmu through Block Development Officer, Mandi, and burnt the draft of the proposed agriculture marketing policy.

“We fought a year-long struggle at the borders of Delhi and it was the martyrdom of 750 farmers that pushed the Narendra Modi government to repeal the three black farm laws. Now, this policy seeks to transfer our produce to private traders without fair pricing. The policy document does not even mention the word MSP. Similarly, it has recommended contract farming.”

The SKM said the protests were being held to remind the Centre of its promise to devise methods to ensure MSP in a legal framework. While some farmer organisations pressed for complete procurement of produce through state agencies, others wanted punitive charges for buying the produce below MSP.

The Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal had assured the SKM leadership that it would form a committee, including representatives from the Centre and state governments, agricultural scientists and farmer leaders of different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement MSP.

Agarwal’s letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle had agreed to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic famers’ struggle and it would appeal to the state governments too to withdraw the cases. The Centre had also assured farmers that it would hold discussions on the provisions impacting farmers in the Electricity Amendment Act.

However, the government’s invitation to SKM to the committee on Zero Budget Farming was turned down by the Morcha leaders, who alleged that the committee had majority members who had backed the ‘black’ farm laws.

Why MSP is Crucial?

The farmers bodies have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the Central body responsible for announcing MSP for procuring crops from farmers, had been employing a wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While CACP has used A2 + FL formula, the farmers have been demanding C2+ 50% for just returns on the produce. A2 covers major costs such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among others and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs that also cover rents and forgone interest on land apart from traditional costs.

On Dallewal’s fast and deteriorating health, SKM leaders said in case of any untoward development, the entire responsibility would fall on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

In a statement, SKM core team member Darshan Pal said, “Instead of discussing the acute distress faced by farmers and agricultural labourers, the NDA-3 government is further unleashing an onslaught on agriculture, industry and services through the New National Agriculture Market Policy and Digital Agriculture Mission, National Cooperation Policy, imposing four labour codes and One Nation One Election that erodes the federal rights of the State Governments to facilitate the corporate agenda of ‘one nation one market for corporate profiteering’.

Memorandum to President

The memorandum submitted to the President of India by SKM leaders read, “It is highly unfortunate that the Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi is not ready to hold discussions with farmer organisations on struggles. Instead, consistent efforts are there to brutally suppress the struggles of farmers at Shambu and Khanuri borders of Punjab and Noida-Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh by using tear gas shelling, rubber bullets, water cannons and putting hundreds of farmers in jail for holding peaceful demonstrations and Dharna.”

It further noted that In the Gautam Buddha Nagar, the FIR No.0538 dated December 4, 2024, revealed that the Police Commissionerate had implicated 112 farmers on false charges under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Nyay Samhita for attempt to murder of a police sub-inspector…. “The farmers are in jail for the last 21 days,” it added.

The memorandum also held that the “new National Agriculture Market Policy is part of the strategy of the corporate agenda to permit backdoor resurrection of the three farm laws. The conscious efforts in the last two years to thwart procurement in APMC markets in Punjab and Haryana, dismantle FCI by promoting cash transfer on food subsidy, reduction of food subsidy by Rs. 60,470 Cr. and fertiliser subsidy by Rs. 62,445 Cr. in the last three consecutive years are corporate attacks on the existing system of limited MSP and Food security of the country.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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The protest was called in response to alleged excesses inflicted on farmers who tried to march towards Delhi to press for their demands on Minimum Support Price and one time debt relief. At least 21 trains were cancelled and several trains were short terminated in Ambala and Ferozpur division. The protesters squatted on major railway stations including Moga, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Batala, Jalandhar, Sangrur, Tarn Taran and Muktsar.

Harmeet Bains, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union said, “We have stopped trains from 12 PM to 3 PM at more than 100 locations in the state. After the Supreme Court directed the Haryana administration to allow farmers their march on foot, we were met with sheer high handedness, tear gas and water cannons. The centre is in sleep mode from 2014 itself. The farmers are too citizens of this country. We provide grains to feed the people. If peasantry is destroyed, the country will face serious repercussions.”

Addressing a press conference at Shambhu border, Jaswinder Singh Longowal, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Azad said that the participation of common people in rail roko protest surpassed their expectations.

“Even the unions out of our organisation’s ambit extended their support. It must be remembered that the fast unto death of veteran leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal entered 23rd day and no centre representative reached out to us over our demands,”he said.

He said,”today’s protest amply demonstrates that the people of the state are frustrated with this government. Both forums, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political), have decided that the movement will be intensified in Punjab. A complete bandh will be observed in the state on December 30 and we will request people to ensure massive participation. I request farmers bodies, shopkeepers, workers to understand that winning this struggle is the need of the hour. I ask you to form village committees to campaign in rural areas. We cannot forget the sacrifices made by our leaders. We cannot forget the humiliation meted out to us by the centre.”

Meanwhile, the health of Dallewal, President, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur), further deteriorated on 23rd day of his fast with doctors expressing possibility of multiple organ failure. The Supreme Court too showed concern over deteriorating health of Dallewal and directed Punjab government to make necessary arrangements in case hospitalisation is required.

The bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Wednesday said,”As regard to medical aid to Mr.Jagjit Singh Dallewal, learned Advocate General fairly submits that even as per the doctors, he is immediately required to be hospitalised. That being the medical condition, we direct the State Authorities to take all necessary steps and ensure that the medical aid of hospitalisation, as per the doctors advise, is provided to Mr.Jagjit Singh Dallewal, without any delay.”

After the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision of repealing the farm laws, Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal had assured the leadership of Samyukta Kisan Morcha that it will form a committee including representatives from centre and state governments, Agriculture Scientists and farmers leaders of different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement minimum support price.

The letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle agrees to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic struggle and it will appeal to the state governments too to withdraw the cases. The Centre will also hold discussion on provisions impacting farmers in Electricity Amendment Act.

However, the government’s invitation to SKM to the committee on Zero Budget Farming was turned down by the morcha leaders as they alleged the committee had majority of members who had backed the farm laws.

Why MSP is crucial ?

The farmers bodies have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the central body responsible for announcing minimum support price for procuring crops from farmers, has been employing wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While CACP has used A2 + FL formula, the farmers has been asking for C2+ 50 percent for just returns on the produce. A2 covers majors costs such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among other costs and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs which also covers rents and forgone interest on land apart from traditional costs.

Tejvir Singh, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Union Shaheed Bhagat Singh said that the Centre has introduced a draft of National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing instead of initiating any dialogue. He said,”I have no hesitation in saying that the centre has reintroduced repealed farm laws through back door. If we look at the policy framework, there is no single word on Minimum Support Price in the whole document to which our 10 months struggle is dedicated. We are witnessing an assault on our federal structure too where states have no role in determining their priorities whereas the seventh schedule of Constitution maintains agriculture s a state subject. We also wish to highlight that the some important khap panchayats have extended their support and announce it formally on 19.12.2024 at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh.

Surjeet Singh Phul, Chairman, Bharatiya Kisan Union Krantikari, said that the forums also declined to meet the panel formed by Supreme Court citing its limited mandate. “We categorically stated that the panel has no powers to take decisions and it appears to be a delaying tactic. We will only meet the representatives of centre which needs to deliver its promises now.”

Meanwhile Samyukta Kisan Morcha has given a call to observe nationwide protests on December 23 over repression of farmers in Greater Noida. Simultaneously, it demanded resumption of dialogue with farmers organisations and withdrawal of National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing.

Talking to NewsClick over the phone, Hannan Mollah of SKM said that “Sarvan Singh Pandher had expressed his desire for a joint struggle. The constituents of SKM were apprehensive because he was never part of our umbrella organisation. His people’s action brought bad name to the movement when they created a ruckus at the Red Fort and brought national flag down. However, we have called him to meet us at Patiala. ”

The SKM had also written to Prime Minister to accept the genuine, long pending demands of farmers on MSP, loan waiver, stopping privatization of electricity, implementation of LARR Act 2013 and immediately withdraw the new Agriculture Market Policy dated 25th November 2024 proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare that denies MSP, permits corporate control on agriculture production and marketing through digitalization, contract farming, market access to procurement, trespass on the federal rights of the States.

It said,” The recent introduction of the Digital Agriculture Mission, National Cooperation Policy and now the New Agri Market Policy are part of the strategy of the corporate agenda to permit backdoor resurrection of the three farm laws. The conscious efforts in the last two years to thwart procurement in APMC markets in Punjab and Haryana, dismantle FCI by promoting cash transfer on food subsidy, reduction of food subsidy by Rs. 60,470 Cr. and fertiliser subsidy by Rs. 62,445 Cr. in the last three consecutive years are decisive corporate attacks on the existing system of MSP and Food security.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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The participants, representing the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and several workers unions, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had failed them in improving their livelihood conditions and even used brute force to quash their protests.

The mahapanchayat (grand assembly) was addressed by Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, All India Kisan Sabha finance secretary P Krishna Prasad and Centre of Indian Trade Unions secretary A R Sindhu, among others.

The unions, miffed by the apathy of the ruling BJP in the Centre and the Haryana government, gave a call for defeating the party in the Assembly elections scheduled on October 1.

SKM, a collective of various farmers unions, which spearheaded the struggle against three farm laws, has already expressed its displeasure at the new MSP (minimum support price) rates announced by the Nayab Saini government in the state. It believes that the new rates do not cover the costs incurred in agriculture and will push farmers further into poverty and indebtedness.

Vicky, a farmer, drinking tea with his friends under a massive shed, told NewsClick that they were facing too much uncertainty weather with climate change.

“The prices of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides and herbicides are at an all-time high. We are not able to recover the costs, leave alone any question of profits. The procurement of grains is done late. There is rampant corruption in the selling of DAP and fertilisers. The list is endless,” he said.

Vicky went on to add that Haryana farmers were also unhappy with the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The scheme, introduced in 2016, aims to provide insurance services to farmers in lieu of premium paid by farmers, state and Central governments.

Raj Kumar, part of the same group of farmers, said insurance companies do not pay compensation in case of failed crops due to drought, untimely rains and frost. However, they are regularly charging a premium every season.

“Farmers have been holding protests for insurance claims for failed crops in 2022 at the Hisar Collector’s Office for two consecutive years. Yet, the companies and the government did not pay heed to our complaints,” he added.

The PMFBY has faced scathing criticism from experts and farmers organisations who argue that it is all about insurance companies minting record profits every year leaving farmers at the receiving end. As per data furnished by former Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha, in reply to question by late Sushil Kumar Modi in Rajya Sabha in 2022, insurance companies minted over Rs 40,000 crore in profits in a period of five years from 2016-17 to 2021-22. The data suggest that the companies paid claims worth Rs 1,19,314 crore against accumulated premiums worth Rs 1,59,132 crore.

Apart from farmers, the mahapanchyat also saw participation by construction, scheme, contractual and permanent PSU (public sector) workers who have their own reasons for protests.

Krishna Jangra, who heads the Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union in Hisar, (the workers are responsible for implementation of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), told NewsClick that these workers look after children under the age of six, feed them nutritious food, report any malnourishment and help in other child welfare schemes.

She said the state government provides rent of Rs 200 and Rs 1,500 for rural and urban areas, respectively. Similarly, Anganwadi workers and helpers are provided an honorarium of Rs 14,000 and Rs 7,500 a month respectively.

“There are two types of centres, ‘smart’ Anganwadi centres and ‘normal’ Anganwadi centres. While the smart centres have all facilities, others are run without water, electricity and toilets,” she added.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated our role in implementing the ICDS efficiently and announced additional honorarium of Rs 1,500 and Rs 750 for workers and helpers, respectively in his Mann Ki Baat address on radio on September 9, 2018. The state government received the money but declined to transfer it to us. When we protested against it for four months beginning November 2021-April 2022, a total of 975 workers were suspended. This proves that this government is “anti-poor and anti-worker,” said Jangra.

Anil Kumar, a painter by profession, was among the group of construction workers who joined the mahapacnhayat. He told NewsClick that the Haryana government had mishandled the affairs of the labour welfare board and inadvertently opened the avenues for corruption. The labour welfare board, after much struggle, came into existence in 2007 in the state and has a fund to compensate the loss of workers’ lives at work site, provide monetary help in marriage of the daughters and scholarships to needy students of dependent families.

A cess for labour welfare is collected from employers and each worker contributes Rs 5 per month too. To be eligible for such help, a worker must prove that he worked for 90 days in a year and the requisite slip must be verified by the panchayat secretary.

“Earlier the unions did this. Now, these secretaries demand bribes to approve the slips. Even if you pay the bribe, the officers in the labour department ask for a cut in lieu of benefits. A worker is already deprived. How do you think he will afford to pay a bribe?” said Kumar.

A R Sindhu, secretary, CITU, feels the Haryana elections are being fought by people who want to defeat BJP at any cost.

“There’s huge anti-incumbency and you can sense it in people’s conversations. Haryana contributes immensely to Indian defence forces. The government introduced the Agniveer scheme where a soldier would not be considered a martyr. Similarly, they have introduced a new scheme where trainees in industries will be employed and the government will give incentives to employers. The status of jobs is not fixed. This is unforgivable. The voters of Haryana will not tolerate this,” she said.

P Krishnaprasad, finance secretary, AIKS, said farmers and workers unions were compelled to take an electoral stance.

“We were not interested in electoral politics. However, BJP leaders’ actions forced us to teach them a lesson. It is the first time that farmers’ and workers’ unions are meeting and calling for a party’s defeat. We want economic freedom and that can happen only when farmers are paid MSP, workers their minimum wages and their children have jobs,” he said.

Krishnaprasad said, “We have conducted this mahapanchayat so as not to make any party win. We are furious because the (ML) Khattar government and the Centre run by (Narendra) Modi did not fulfil its promise on MSP, minimum wages and jobs. Those who are already celebrating their victory must remember that they will receive the same fate if these promises remain unfulfilled.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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SKM leaders said that its constituent organisations would conduct door-to-door campaigns and appeal to people to not to vote for the saffron party as it failed to deliver on its promise of minimum support price (MSP) as per the suggestion of Swaminathan Commission recommendations of paying 1.5 times the comprehensive cost.

Constituted in 2004, the National Commission on Farmers, headed by leading agriculture scientist late M S Swaminathan, had recommended that farmers must get 1.5 times of the total cost incurred on inputs in agriculture.

Farmers’ groups have maintained that the Commission on Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), the central body responsible for announcing the MSP for acquiring foodgrains from farmers, has been employing a wrong methodology for calculating the input costs of seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, diesel and harvesting. While the CACP has used the A2 + FL formula, the farmers have been asking for C2+ 50% for fair returns on the produce. A2 covers major costs, such as fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and diesel among other costs and FL implies unpaid family labour. C2 refers to comprehensive costs, which also cover rents and forgone interest on land, apart from traditional costs.

Mahapanchayat in Hisar

The SKM’s Haryana unit said it would organise a massive meeting of workers, farmers and employees (permanent and contractual) in Hisar on September 7, to launch the campaign in the state.

Inderjit Singh, one of the key functionaries of SKM, told NewsClick over the phone that although the decision to hold such a campaign was in the agenda of SKM’s national executive meeting on July 10 in New Delhi, it was formally cleared on August 20 in Bhiwani where all constituent organisations gave their consent.

“We are very clear that we will expose the government’s corporate-communal nexus; their anti-farmer and anti-worker character and punish by defeating them,” said Singh, who is also a leader of the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).

The septuagenarian leader went on to add that the joint programme had been convened with active participation of Central Trade Unions. “We snatched five seats (from BJP) in Lok Sabha elections (in Haryana). We will repeat the Assembly elections too,” he added.

‘Haryana CM Misguided us’

Suresh Koth, leader, Bharatiya Kisan Mazdoor Union, told NewsClick over the phone that farmers were agitated because the promises made during the farmers’ movement were not fulfilled. “Consecutive CMs kept misguiding us over MSP. The police cases registered during the agitation have still not been withdrawn,” he added.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision of repealing the farm laws, the Centre, through its Secretary (Farmers Welfare) Sanjay Agarwal, had assured the SKM leadership that it would form a committee, including representatives from the Centre and state governments, agriculture scientists and farmer leaders from different unions with the mandate to devise methods to implement MSP.

Agarwal’s letter dated December 9, 2021 also noted that the Union government in principle agreed to withdraw criminal cases by its agencies for participation in the historic struggle and it would appeal to the state governments to withdraw the cases, too. The Centre will also hold a discussion on the provisions impacting farmers in the Electricity Amendment Act, the letter added.

In a statement, SKM said, “The massive setback suffered by BJP across India in the just concluded 18th Lok Sabha elections — NDA lost in 159 rural constituencies — was mainly due to the anger among farmers, workers, youth and marginalised sections including Minorities, Dalits and Adivasis against the pro-corporate policies imposed by the Modi Government. Another drubbing to BJP in these Assembly elections will amount to a litmus test for farmers to make certain their victory in the struggle across India against the corporatisation of agriculture and in defence of their livelihoods.”

On Haryana, the statement said, “The Haryana Chief Minister had attempted to misguide the farmers by falsely claiming MSP for 24 crops consciously hiding the fact that the procurement rate is not based on C2+50% but the current rate of A2+FL+50%.

“The C2+50% rate of paddy, one of the major crops of Haryana is Rs.3012/qntl while the current rate is Rs. 2300/qntl means less by Rs.712/qntl. Paddy farmers alone in Haryana had a loss of Rs.3851.90 crore in the year 2023-24.”

The SKM said similarly, the workers’ movement was also consistently in struggle demanding minimum wages of Rs.26,000/ month, rolling back of four pro-corporate labour codes and regularisation of jobs in schemes, including Anganwadi, Asha and Mid-Day Meals.

The BJP-led state government in Haryana and the Modi government that rules over the Union territory of Jammu Kashmir through the Lieutenant Governor, had brutally ignored these huge mass sections of the working population, it said.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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D K Lobiyal, President of the JNU Teachers’ Association, said that selective promotions have been handed to the teachers who paid complete obeisance to the administration. “We are seeing that promotions have been denied to our colleagues, whereas some teachers have been given extensions as chairpersons and deans beyond the tenure of a vice-chancellor,” he said.

“Fourteen appointments of deans of different Schools of JNU have taken place since February 2022. Three of them involved the previous occupant of that office being reappointed to the same position, even for serving a third term. In another 10 cases, senior colleagues in their respective schools were bypassed, with the solitary exception being when the dean had to be appointed from outside the School concerned. In other words, rotation by order of seniority has not been followed in a single case,” he added.

Surajit Mazumdar, a professor of economics at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, said that the situation is so bad that the chairpersons of different schools and centres do not know about the experts coming to interview the teachers for recruitment. He said, “The usual precedent remains that departments would prepare the list of experts and send it to the vice-chancellor, and she would choose certain names. However, we are seeing that experts are added to the list, and there is a complete disregard for the statutes of the university as well as the norms laid out by the University Grants Commission.”

Atul Sood, the former president of JNUTA, added that it appears that the administration has already approved the decisions, and the meetings of bodies like the Academic Council and the Executive Council are called to just report the items. “I was a member of the Executive Council, and it was strange that 27 items, which included the introduction of new courses, finished in half an hour. Former VC Jagadesh Mamidala used to call online meetings and would mute the mic if members wanted to express something. The tradition is going on with the current VC allowing select members to speak in the meetings. All universities have returned to pre-COVID norms for conducting physical meetings; whereas JNU remains the only university where such a practice is going on.

Moushumi Basu, who teaches at the Centre for International Politics, Organisation & Disarmament, said that the teachers have noticed a pattern where the National Testing Agency (NTA) is determining the academic calendar of the university. “We have seen that admissions to masters and PhD would be conducted through NTA. However, there is no compulsion to engage with NTA for entrance exams. We are seeing that semesters would end in a matter of three months. I think it’s cheating our students and nations that we are compelling [students] to take exams without proper studies.”

Another fallout of it remains the reduction in the number of girl students in the university. The teachers emphasised that the percentage of girl students has plunged from 51.4% in 2017-18 to 44.4% in 2021-22. Similarly, the share of research students has decreased from 62.2% in 2016-17 to 46% in 2021-22.

The JNUTA, in a press statement, said that the process of destruction of the University unleashed in 2016 has continued unabated, even after the change of the Vice Chancellor in February 2022. This destruction involves the erosion of the institutional and academic ethos of the University and the undermining of its role as a promoter of social equity – the hallmarks of the University which were integral to establishing it as a premier higher education institution.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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At a press conference held at the Press Club of India in the national capital on Monday, IDPD general secretary Shakeel Ur Rahman said that hill patients commute 150 km to Kohima and Dimapur in Nagaland and nearing cities in Assam to avail treatment as the movement of goods and people between the Valley and hills is severely affected.

“Our team visited the relief camps at the Khuman Lamkpak Sports Complex hostel (Imphal district) and IT relief camps under Sapormeina PHC (Kangpokpi district) in hill areas. We could not carry medicines as our local contacts told us that the mistrust among communities would make the journey difficult,” he said.

The ordeal of patients increases due to the Internet shutdown, said Rahman, a paediatrician by profession.

“We can help patients through telemedicine and train doctors in performing peritoneal dialysis (for renal failure) and other skills, like using AMBU bags in cases of Respiratory Distress Syndrome among children,and counsel mothers on breastfeeding. The shutdown has ended such possibilities,” he said.

“We also found the referral systems for serious patients at the relief camps in hilly areas unsatisfactory. It was beyond shock to find that the Kangpokpi District Hospital has neither an operation theatre nor a blood storage facility,” he added.

Besides, the state has “an acute shortage of specialists, other doctors and health workers. A vast majority of specialists doctors and all the medical colleges are in the Imphal district (three medical colleges) and Churachandpur district (one medical college)”.

Referring to the absence of vaccination among children, Rahman said that there is no special vaccination drive against measles. “Measles vaccine immunisation drive in children above nine months along with Vitamin A oral suspension is imperative for relief camps, according to the Sphere Project of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).”

IDPD president Arun Mitra, an ENT doctor, said that nodal officers for relief camps too corroborated the reports that no green leafy vegetables/eggs/meat/fish has ever been supplied to the people. Only the local community, civil society organisations and a few individuals sometimes provide vegetables.

“Anodal officer said that the people at the camps get one egg each per day every 13 days. Green vegetables are never supplied. Rice, dal, potatoes and cooking oil constitute the bulk of the ration. The absence of green leafy vegetables and animal proteins in children’s diet in the last four months might lead to night blindness, which is caused by Vitamin A deficiency,” he said.

Mitra added that the condition of patients with chronic diseases like renal failure and diabetes is poor. “Two patients with kidney failure requested us for dialysis machines.”

Moreover, children get repeated nightmares. “Many request their parents to return home. The elderly are too anxious about the safety of their families,” he said.

Mitra demanded “robust referral systems after triage from primary health centres to higher relief centres within Manipur and neighbouring states at the earliest”.

“Restoring the Internet is a must to achieve this objective. Similarly, fabricated operation theatres should be made operational at the district and subdistrict levels immediately. Blood storage units should be set up around relief camps after cluster formation,” he further demanded.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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The convention, organised jointly by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Central trade unions, was called to plan mass actions ahead of general elections in 2024. The theme slogan of the convention was “Corporate-Communal BJP-RSS Hatao, Bharat Bachao”.

Carrying red, blue, saffron, green and yellow flags, thousands of participants in the convention maintained that it was imminent for farmers and workers to come together given the onslaught on their livelihood under the current regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The convention began with slogans like “Revoke four labour codes, ensure minimum support price and withdraw GST on essential food items.”

Ranju Devi, who is hoping for some justice against the demolitions in Delhi, told NewsClick that both she and her husband lost employment after the demolitions. “I used to work as a domestic help and my husband was working as a labourer. The government knows that the poor have very little to survive. Yet, it chose to demolish our homes. I may manage to feed my child but they will remain uneducated. What’s the worth of your (ruling BJP’s) slogan of achche din (better days) when we are dying each day due to inflation and unemployment.”

Much like Devi, Ashutosh Bhadana, who works in an auto parts factory in Faridabad, said workers were fed up with the contractualisation system where principal employers have been escaping their duties to provide social security measures.

“It has become a common exercise to lay off workers abruptly. The workers are divided in groups and no worker knows about his contractor. When a complaint is raised with a principal employer, he simply denies employing such workers. The existing labour laws at least protected us in such situations, but the labour codes remove the little protection we had. We are enraged and that’s why you see a sea of people here, firm in their resolve to fight,” he told NewsClick.

Talking to NewsClick on the sidelines of the convention, Tejinder Singh Virk, president, Terai Kisan Sangathan, who sustained grievous injuries in the assault in Lakhimpur Kheri, allegedly led by Ashish Mishra, son of Ajay Mishra, Minister of State for Home Affairs, in the wake of intense farmers protests, said the government cheated on the promises it made after historic farmers’ struggle.

“Neither the assured MSP was given nor the cases against farmers during the movement were withdrawn by the Centre and state governments. Albeit, our concerns regarding the (now scrapped) farm laws were corroborated by recent reports that corporates were trying to influence the government on the Essential Commodities Act. What is more shameful is that government banks went on to forego corporate loans worth Rs 11 lakh crore in the past nine years, whereas a common farmer is hounded for loan recovery even if he loses his produce to drought and floods,” he said.

>Vijoo Krishnan, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, which is part of the SKM, said it was high time for farmers and workers to unite to defeat this government.

“We will take up three major programmes this year; we will observe October 3 as ‘Black Day’ in remembrance of the five victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri Violence. Then, a day and night Mahapadav will be held on November 25-26 to celebrate the historic workers’ strike and beginning of farmers’ struggle in 2020. Also, we plan to launch a massive campaign in December this year against the policies of this government,” he said.

In a joint declaration, the farmers and workers organisations said, “Privatisation is central to the policies of this government. When sale of cash cows like BPCL, CEL, Air India, Pawan Hans etc., was not picking up at the pace they wanted, the Government came up with National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) project, handing over various public sector assets, built with people’s money, to big corporates to make money without any investments! Airports, Highways, Ports, Railway tracks, stations everything is up for grabs.”

Attacking the Modi government’s privatisation drive, the declaration said, “Education is being privatised. PSU Banks are being merged and being prepared for privatisation. LIC, GIC are targeted for privatisation. Even 41 Ordnance Factories, producing defence equipment, have been turned into 7 corporations, prior to their privatisation, a patently anti-national move, affecting 80000 workers. The Government is eyeing huge tracts of land with defence, railways and so on.”

The declaration also flayed the “Pompous display of G-20 Presidentship, (which India got by rotation) as a World recognition of the PM,” adding that it was “sickening to say the least. Despite opposition from Central Trade Unions and ITUC, the Government went ahead to nominate their favoured union to head L-20.”

Worried over the rising unemployment and lakhs of unfilled job vacancies, the declaration said, “We are worried that our children are not getting jobs. Even government vacancies are not filled up, which is within their ambit. Many PSUs are being closed or sold to private parties, who immediately start “down-sizing”, throwing several thousand workers out of employment. The contract workers have become major victims of job-loss and retrenchment. The health sector contract workers employed in govt. hospitals for fighting Covid are now being thrown out of their jobs even after promise of permanency. After Covid, when jobs are desperately needed to bring life back on track, factories are being allowed to close down even illegally, resulting in large scale unemployment.”

The joint convention held by SKM and CTUs, called upon farmers and the working people to unite against BJP’s policies that had brought on untold miseries.

A national convention of workers and farmers, jointly organised by Central Trade Unions and Samyukta Kisan Morcha, at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav)

“What is required is to make the workers, farmers and the people aware that their real enemy, the cause for their miseries and the miseries of the nation, is the anti-national destructive policy regime being operated by the corporate-communal nexus in the governance at the Centre. They cannot be expected to change their pro-corporate policies. They have to be ousted from power,” said the declaration.

The convention decided to launch “joint and coordinated struggles” to ensure that no government — Centre or state — “dares to impose anti-worker and anti-farmers policies.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Virender Gaur, president, Centre of Indian Trade Unions Delhi, who was addressing the meeting said that it is very essential to understand that both governments, Delhi Government led by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Union government of the Bharatiya Janata Party, are taking anti-workers measures at an unbridled pace.

He said, “The question of privatisation is looming large on our heads. If we take the examples from the Delhi-NCR region, we saw a successful struggle at Central Electronics Limited (CEL) where workers won their fight to save this precious public sector undertaking from privatisation. We are witnessing similar struggles at Container Corporation of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, and even Delhi Jal Board where I worked for 38 years.”

Talking to NewsClick at the protest, he said, “The most prominent example that we are witnessing of imposition of privatisation is through companies being deprived of human resources. There is no direct employment even when it is clear that 100 average employees are retiring per month.”

“When I started my job at Delhi Jal Board, it had a 35,000-strong workforce. Now, it has been reduced to 14,000 workers. It is happening at a time when the length of water and sewage pipelines has multiplied several times. The needs of the city have multiplied. It is interesting that it has a workforce of 14,000 workers whereas it has 17,000 pensioners. So, we held this convention to finalise the charter of the campaign and mobilise thousands of workers at Jantar Mantar where students, young people and people from all walks of life will join us,” said Gaur.

When asked about the efficacy of Jantar Mantar as a site for Mahapadav to build pressure, Gaur emphasised that it does have an impact and government will have to listen. “Wrestlers have been sitting at Jantar Mantar peacefully and its impact is such that PM Modi who would speak for hours on trivial issues has not uttered a word on the women wrestlers and their accusations regarding sexual harassment. It will be a historic struggle to remember in Delhi.”

Birju Nayak from Mazdoor Ekta Committee who is representing unorganised sector workers at the convention told NewsClick that the workers in Delhi are facing a strange phenomenon post-pandemic where wage rates have reduced significantly forcing both men and women in the family to seek work.

Talking to NewsClick, he said that the minimum wage in Delhi for unskilled workers is Rs 17,234 per month whereas they are only getting only Rs 9,000-Rs 12,000 per month. It has forced women in the family to seek work. “It is perturbing for the workers as health and education of them and their children are impacted. We just had a story of one worker who said that he has been visiting Employees State Insurance Hospitals since childhood. In childhood, he never heard that workers were asked to come again to campus to get medicine or buy them from chemists from their own pocket. Now, it is quite rampant,” he claimed.

Nayak added that the denial of rights to workers has exposed their children to the world of crime. He explained, “We are seeing increasing cases where young people in bastis are resorting to crimes to meet the ends. It’s a less discussed topic but children are ending up in Tihar Jail and becoming professional criminals. Had their parents been paid well and their health and education taken care of, we could have saved them.”

Dharamender Kumar Verma, general secretary, Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), told NewsClick that the living and working conditions of women workers are more exploitative when it comes to the unorganised sector. “We know that women are very much affected by inflation as they handle household chores. Gas cylinders are expensive, grocery items are expensive and so are even matchbox sticks. When they move to factories, they face discrimination and received lower payments. Domestic workers have told us stories that they cannot use the toilets in apartments which they clean. Does PM Modi not know about our plight? He says he used to sell tea. We never saw it but we know that he is selling railways. Workers are infuriated and coming to Jantar Mantar on August 9 in large numbers.”

Sidheshwar Shukla, who coordinates among the unorganised sector workers, said that the central trade unions and federations have been finalising plans to hold dharnas at labour commissioners’ offices and district magistrate offices in the next three months and finally hold a Mahapadav in the month of August to oppose labour codes, privatisation and for other demands. “It’s the first anniversary of the Mundra fire where workers died. There are questions about the safety of workers, their livelihoods and conversion of perennial posts turning into contract jobs, displacement of workers in contract-based jobs. All trade unions felt that we should come to a stage to call for action. Today we held this convention as part of a larger plan and we will hit the streets in large numbers,” added Shukla.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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The farmers have demanded an end to “police persecution” of people in Dhanivri, Palghar district, whose houses were demolished for constructing the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway without adequate compensation and were subsequently arrested. The farmers also want the two people who protested the construction of an oil refinery in Ratnagiri district to be released.

The farmers have alleged that the state government broke its promise that the police would not harass people for land acquisition and that an amicable decision would be reached. They have also demanded the transfer of land titles of temple trusts to tenants. Maharashtra has 6 lakh acres acquired under the Hyderabad Atiyat Inquiries Act, 1952. Other demands include fair and remunerative prices for milk, soybean, sugarcane and cotton farmers.

AIKS president Ashok Dhawale told Newsclick that the farmers were “compelled to resume the march because the state government has not responded to their demand for compensation for crops damaged by untimely rains and hailstorms”.

“The police have not stopped their brutal ways in dealing with protesters who have lost their livelihood. In the last two years, excessive and unseasonal rains destroyed crops in Maharashtra. The state government announced compensation for farmers but never provided it,” he said.

“Repeated assurances were given to vest forest, temple, Inaam, Waqf and pasture land for housing to peasants and agricultural workers, many of whom are tilling such lands for several generations. However, the police and forest department were misused to beat up poor peasants and drive them out of their land and houses,” Dhawale alleged.

Deepak Lipan, a cotton farmer based in Parbhani district, Marathwada, said that milk farmers had been “cheated on the pretext of fat volume by cooperative diaries and corporate milk producers”.

“If the cost of producing a litre of milk is Rs 25, we only get Rs 20. The same milk is sold at higher prices in cities. If a company is earning big profits, why cannot farmers get a fair return?” asks Lipan, all set to participate in the march.

“The prices of inputs like fodder and medicines for animals are increasing. However, milk prices are either stagnant or dropping. It’s complete loot. That’s why thousands of farmers have decided to march to Loni to make revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil listen to our demands,” he added.

Citing his example, Lipan said, “While prices of inputs like seeds, fertilisers, herbicides and labour have increased, cotton prices are stagnant. I sold cotton at Rs 7,000 per quintal in 2012 whereas one DAP fertiliser bag cost Rs 500. Today, cotton is sold at the same rate but DAP fertiliser costs Rs 1,700.”

His four acres yielded 30 quintals of cotton that was sold for Rs 2,10,000. “I spent about a lakh on labour, seeds, diesel, etc. What did I get? If I calculate the labour put in by me, my wife, mother and two children, it’s a complete loss. The children lose out on studies as well.”

When asked about the state government’s cold response to farmers’ problems, Lipan said that only a struggle, not silence,  would give results. “Farmers got a Rs 350 subsidy on onions after we fought for months. Therefore, we shall fight till the last drop of blood.”

Another farmer, Bhagwan Bhojane, told Newsclick that sugarcane farmers have been waiting for their payments even after five months of the crushing season. “Sugar mills never let the prices of sugarcane increase. The average price is Rs 2,300-Rs 2,600. However, the input costs are always higher and there is no protection against crop damage,” he said.

“I grew sugarcane on five acres. It is impossible to run my household on agriculture alone. My brothers work in MGNREGA and other construction sites to run their households,” he added.

Professor R Ramkumar, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai), who would participate in the march, said that “economics cannot be seen in isolation from ground realities. “Having theoretical understanding is certainly a very important part of academics but you cannot have a nuanced view of agriculture and problems of agrarian society if you miss farmers’ movements like this,” he told Newsclick.

“Extreme weather conditions, including untimely rains and price crashes, have badly hit farmers. The problem of extreme weather conditions could have been easily dealt with if the Centre and state governments had designed a comprehensive insurance scheme. Private companies aiming to get maximum premium and pay minimum compensation run such schemes,” Ramkumar rued.

He added that the El Niño phenomenon has resulted in both excess rains and droughts. “A good insurance scheme could have resolved the issues if all factors were calculated. Unfortunately, crop insurance programmes have excluded crores of farmers. For example, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana beneficiaries have consistently decreased. The fact that the government compensated farmers after their protest in Maharashtra is an admission of failure,” he said.

Cash crops are linked with international markets and can fall within days. “In this situation, the government should have ideally restricted imports and provided MSP. Secondly, input costs, like diesel, electricity, seeds and fertilisers, have increased whereas crop prices are largely stagnant. So, their farmers’ incomes have been squeezed,” Raamkumar explained.

Giving the example of milk farmers, Ramakumar said that milk prices crashed from Rs 35 per litre to Rs 17 per litre during the pandemic. “Farmers have been asking the government to ask large private diaries to increase the procurement prices or provide some help. But the government has failed on both fronts. Moreover, the milk sector is being corporatised with large companies taking over procurement, marketing and sales of milk products. So, farmers are not getting prices that they deserve.”

Ramakumar maintained that the demand to distribute six lakh acres among landless farmers for housing and agriculture is politically feasible. “Land reforms not only mean distribution of vast tracts of land from big landlords to peasants but also Bhoodan and Devasthan land, amounting to lakhs of hectares. However, the government is under pressure from landlords and corporate entities. Companies are eying this precious land for agro-industries for cheaper rates.”

Courtesy: Newsclick

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