Residents of Jamia Nagar and left organisations voice their solidarity with India’s farmers

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 14:32:00 +0000

Political and civic organisations on November 28, 2020 voiced their support with the nationwide farmers protest against the new agriculture laws.

Leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Nationalist Congress Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Communist Party of India -Marxist Leninist and other left organisations, in a joint statement, said that the Nirankari ground allotted to farmers by the central government is too small to accommodate the tens of thousands of protesters approaching Delhi.

“We the undersigned demand that a larger ground like Ram Lila Maidan or similar must be allotted for this peaceful protest and all necessary arrangements must be made for their stay and food,” they said.

Demanding that the government adhere to the democratic process and norms and address the concerns of the protesting farmers, leaders reiterated their opposition to the new agriculture laws that threaten India’s food security, Minimum Support Price (MSP) system and destroy Indian agriculture and farmers.

“Braving severe repression, tear-gassing, heavy water cannoning, roadblocks, police barricades and digging up the national highways surrounding Delhi akin to waging a ‘war’ on our farmers, tens of thousands of farmers have successfully reached the National Capital of Delhi. We salute their determination and courage in this massive protest demanding the withdrawal of the retrograde anti-Kisan agri laws,” said the press statement.

The Indian National Congress (INC) published a separate video demanding an apology from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after Minister of State, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Anil Sharma called protesting farmers “gundas” (hooligans.)

Similarly, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted in support of protesting farmers.

अन्याय के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ उठाना अपराध नहीं, कर्तव्य है।

मोदी सरकार पुलिस की फ़र्ज़ी FIR से किसानों के मज़बूत इरादे नहीं बदल सकती।

कृषि विरोधी काले क़ानूनों के ख़त्म होने तक ये लड़ाई जारी रहेगी।

हमारे लिए ‘जय किसान’ था, है और रहेगा! pic.twitter.com/EZWxMpIoJc

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 28, 2020

Meanwhile, people of Shaheen Bagh, Batla House, Abul Fazal, Jauhri Farm, Zakir Nagar, Ghaffar Manzil, Jamia Nagar extended their strong support to “farmers agitating against the ‘fascist farman’ (Diktat) of the right-wing neoliberal regime.”

“We the people of Jamia Nagar will be shortly visiting protest sites in a collective of Muslim men and women with our demands to repeal the CAA [Citizenship Amendment Act] and anti-farmer, anti-labour laws. This elected government should note that we elected them to enact and implement the guiding principles of the Indian Constitution, which promotes social justice, equality and fraternity, not eroding them through the process of Jingoistic majoritarianism. We won’t allow them to further erode and control the executive, judiciary, legislative, media and sell India to fascist and corporate lobbies of Ambani and Adani,” they said in a press statement.

They also demanded the government repeal its “anti-people laws” passed in 2014-2019 as well as policies passed during the current tenure.

Earlier on Saturday, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) stated that Punjab and Haryana farmers have continued their onward march towards Delhi. The coalition called it an “unprecedented and undeterred mobilization ever witnessed in the history of the country.”

Moreover, they condemned the Uttar Pradesh government for its brutal, barbaric repressive behaviour against farmers’ protests in the state. Protestors from Uttarakhand have also been camping in Uttar Pradesh since they were detained by the state police.

Leaders also countered the notion that these protests are mainly Punjab-centric by pointing out that farmers are attempting to enter Delhi from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, indicating that the resistance is pan-India. Further agitations are underway in numerous states including in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and other areas.

“The lack of sincerity of this government is apparent in numerous ways. Empty assurances and statements will not be believed by farmers any more. The government chose to ignore farmer protests for months on end now, and tried to malign it in numerous ways. It spent crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money in a publicity blitzkrieg in the name of ‘farmers being misinformed’. This very attitude and approach of the Govt. is unacceptable,” said leaders in a press statement.

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Family demands SC enquiry in Hathras case: Left organisations

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 13:43:51 +0000

Image Courtesy:news18.com

Multiple women’s organisations, farmers organisations and workers unions released a joint press release on October 4, 2020 to demand time-bound, effective, enquiry of the Hathras case under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Organisations such as the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association further demanded severe punishment to police officers and other officials who neglected their duty. In their statement, they also asked for safety to the victim’s family and the proper implementation of Justice Verma Committee recommendations.

They alleged that the UP BJP-led government had indulged in the threatening and terrorising activities of landlord groups against the poor agricultural labour family.

“The criminal way this case as well as cases of rape, atrocities against women and Dalits are being handled by Yogi Adityanath Government, he does not have any right to continue as Chief Minister,” they said.

A delegation visited Gulgarhi village in Hathras, UP on Sunday to extend solidarity to the Valmiki family whose daughter was brutally gang-raped and killed by upper-caste landlords.

“It is with great difficulty that the delegation was allowed by the police to go to the house of the victim. The village is still cordoned and their neighbours are terrorized. The delegation had to wait for three hours to meet the family,” said the press release.

According to the statement, the family members held the BJP Government responsible for their daughter’s death.

“The mother narrated how, the police in an inhuman way cremated her child without allowing her to even have a look. She also said that her daughter has named the culprits before her death,” they said.

Moreover, the family said the brother’s father-in-law was manhandled by police officials. The girl’s father said they do not have faith in the BJP State Government or in the CBI Enquiry. Instead, they demanded a judicial enquiry supervised by the Supreme Court.

The organisations pointed out that the Valmiki agricultural labour family own no land except their house. They only receive a daily wage of Rs. 200 through the agricultural jobs given by the upper caste landlords. Thus, the family faces constant threat from them. A neighbour even said that the family was threatened of dire consequences.

The organisations also expressed concern about the increasing atrocities against women and Dalits. To show support for the call of justice, the organisations intend to launch a nationwide campaign for Dalits and women as an integral part of the struggle against corporates and neoliberalism.

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Left organisations | SabrangIndia

Residents of Jamia Nagar and left organisations voice their solidarity with India’s farmers

Family demands SC enquiry in Hathras case: Left organisations