The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which shot to limelight with its 'Long March' in Maharashtra, is now embarking on a drive to raise a Rs five crore 'Peasant Struggle Fund' to build protests to highlight government's anti-farmer policies across the country ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
It plans to raise these funds through a contribution of Rs 10 each from peasant households, petty producers and traders as well as donations from “friends and well-wishers”, who have expressed their willingness to contribute. On July 22 and 23, a special drive will be organised.
With unrest spreading among the peasant community across the country, the CPI(M)-affiliated unit is also planning to use the fund collection campaign to highlight how the Narendra Modi government has "misled" people on the minimum support price "by not giving what the farmers wanted".
During the 'house-to-house' drive conducted by primary units of the Kisan Sabha, the activists will also spread the word about its 'Jail Bharo' agitation on August 9, the Quit India Day, as well as September 5 rally in Delhi. In both these agitations, several Dalit, Adivasi and trade unions will join the Kisan Sabha.
"We don't have a struggle fund. Our units find the resources for every protest. We thought of having this kind of a fund as there are expenditure for organising bigger protests. There is a need to build struggles. This is the first time we are doing this," Kisan Sabha Joint Secretary Vijoo Krishnan told DH.
The Kisan Sabha thought of this fund as it identifies the need for intensifying "struggles and to advance peasant movement" across the country, especially in north India and north-east. The Kisan Sabha leadership find that there is a need for building a momentum against the "anti-farmer" Narendra Modi government.
Krishnan identified building Kisan Sabha movement in north India and north-east as a “crucial task” to advance united struggle.
In a note prepared for the donors, the Kisan Sabha has said, “four years of NDA government has betrayed all its tall promises to peasantry...India will witness a series of militant issue-based united struggles in the near future against RSS-BJP combine-led Narendra Modi government.”
It has said that the government has “failed” to provide MSP at 50% above the cost of production, comprehensive loan waiver, pension to peasants, control price rise, generate two crore jobs, insurance coverage to all crops and power and water to all agricultural fields.