The Report of the rally and meeting of Jay Kishan Mahasamavesh
A new initiative by Navnirman Krishak Sangathan.
The important historical event took place on 28th October, 2010 in Jagatsinghpur district head quarter of Odisha, when five thousand farmers with the huge rally assembled before the collector office under the banner of Navnirman Krishak Sangathan without any political affiliation on the issue of 1-Rs.5000/- per month security pension to each farmer and 2-Rs.5000/-price per quintal of paddy. This gathering created a light of hope and aspiration for the farmers, majdoors and down-troddens of Odisha at one side and simultaneously gave a strong blow to the so called political parties, bureaucrats and the touts. People managed their own conveyance to come in to the meeting place and they participated in the meeting, with a great interest, continued from 12 noon to 4pm without lunch.
As you know that Navnirman Samiti, the mother organization of Navnirman Krishak Sangathan, came out of the super cyclone of 1999 in the Erasama block of Jagatsingh pur for the rehabilitation and re-construction of cyclone affected area through mass awareness and people’s movement. After that it has been working on different social issue based movements such that Anti-posco movement, Kandhamal peace process etc. Here we took the initiative to organize the farmers on the issue of price and pension from March 2010 in the same district of Jagatsinghpur.
In the month of March, a street play programme was performed on the farmer’s problem and played 15 days to know the response of the people. Since we got a good response, we tried to cover 194 gram panchayats on the same issue of price and pension. Out of 194 Grampanchayats the people of 150 panchayats sat together and decided 22 days Yatra named as Krishak Chetana Yatra continued from 21st September to 12th October, giving a collective call for Jay Kishan Mahasamavesh on 28th October before the collector office.
The chetana yatra created a magnetic surrounding to organize farmers across the state. So after this chetana yatra 5000 farmers came out for a huge rally in the district head quarter to bring a success story of Jay Kishan Mahasamavesh.
The sign of the spontaneous flow and enthusiasm of the people had been proved from the rally, slogans and participation in the meeting. The formal meeting was started with the Gandhian prayer (He Gandhi tume thare janma nia – oh Gandhi, you take re-birth again….).The Jay Kishan Mahasamabesh meeting was presided by Akshaya kumar, chief convener of Navnirman Krishak Sangathan, odisha. Many eminent persons such as Raman jee, member of Chhatra Yuba Sangharsa Bahini and Sarva Seva Sangha, Satyaprakash Bharat, founder member of yuva Bharat, renowned senior journalist & human right activist Ravi Das, former MLA and member of Chhatra Yuva Sangharsa Bahini Kishor Das, former MP and two times MLA Balgopal Mishra, Professor of OUAT Mr Suresh Mallick, Pampa Das of Netaji Swamiji Ideal Society of West Bengal, farmer leader and senior member of Navnirman Samiti Shesdev Nanda, Snehansu, Umakanta Bharat, Disrict convener Rashmi Ranjan, Ramakanta mandal of Utkal Sarvoday Mandal shared their views in this meeting .
Thousands of people are rushing to be organized with Navnirman Krishak Sangathan on the above issues. Till yet five Thousand memberships have been achieved, and the rest five thousand are in process to be achieved. This Jay Kishan Mahasamavesh declared with the strong commitment to organize five lakh farmers from all over odisha within next two years to get their basic demands of price and pension by justifying the bolt politics by which the government will be bound to accept it, otherwise no way to survive for govt. So the intensive work will continue in JagatsinghPur district with the extensive mass movement all over odisha.
OUR CONCEPT
Introduction
After 1990, the LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation ,Globalisation ) Process has brought a flood of exploitation to the farming community of the country . The small and marginal farmers as well as the middle class farmers are facing a cut throat competition in the same Globalisation era. The complexity of the market web has broken the back-bone of the farmers. The farmer is not getting the minimum price for his agricultural crops what he spends or invests as money or human resources. Government has considered their labour as unskilled labour. The international conspiracy of the Multi-National corporations like Monsanto and Cargill is coming through Seed Bill in the coming parliament session .In the above context, the suffering of the farmers of Odisha will be worst. So, it is very essential to organize the farmers community in Odisha to bring a basic change by non-violent coercive method for a pro-people policy of the Govt .
As it is seen that there is no organized state level farmers movement in Odisha except a few pockets of the western Odisha .In the coastal districts of Odisha, it is very weak. All the mega companies or projects such that POSCO, VEDANTA, TATA, UTKAL ALUMINA etc. are creating the problem of displacement for the farmers. But, the farmers are fighting the movement in the same displaced pocket area in isolation. So, the State machinery or bureaucracy is suppressing the limited pocket based peoples movement ruthlessly. If the farmers organization will be prepared in the broader area covering the multiple larger issues, it can create a greater challenge for the State to take its policy in the positive direction.
The Village Republic
Till yet, all the experiments of Village Republic Village Republic Village Republic Village Republic
Now, it is the right time to take a new method of politics to bolt the power of the State (Bolt politics) through peoples power by aggressive non-violent coercive method to control the policies of the State in favor of Village Republic Village Republic
The New Experiment of the old issue.
There are many local problems of the farmers such that Irrigation, Water-logging, lack of cold storage etc. But, including all those local problems, we are addressing two major issues as follows:
I . Every farmer should get Rs.5000/- (Five Thousand Rupees only) per month as the minimum security guarantee to fulfill one’s basic need of Food, Clothing, Shelter, Health and Education. Our late Prime Minister Lalbahadur Shastry had given the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kishan”. But, it is seen that Soldier (Jawan) is secured at all levels, where as the farmer (Kishan) has no security and dignity. A Soldier protects the boundary of the Nation, where as the farmer protect the belly of the Nation with the food security by giving hard labour. But, Our Nation and its policies don’t give any respect and security to this born Patriot. So, it is truly justified to fulfill his/her basic need by giving Rs.5000/-(Five Thousand Rupees only) per month as the minimum security guarantee after 18 years who works with the soil. This will be more the dignity of the farmer than the security of the farmer.
II. The Govt of Odisha should declare the support price of one quintal of paddy as Rs.5000/- (Five Thousand Rupees only) and purchase the paddy directly from the farmers without the brokers .As it is studied that, when in 1972 the price the gold of 10 grams was Rs.240/- , at that time the price of one quintal of paddy was Rs. 80/- . But, now the price of gold has gone up to Rs.16, 000/- such that near about 66 times more; where as Govt has declared the price of one quintal paddy as Rs.1000/- such that near about 12/13 times more. But, according to the exchange policy, the price of paddy should be Rs.5280/- such that it should be multiplied into 66 times of Rs.240/- .So, we are asking for Rs.5000/- approximately for the price of the one quintal of paddy.
The initiative of Navnirman Samiti
Initially, since we have been working in Jagatsinghpur District for last 12 years just after the Super – Cyclone of 1999, we have taken the target in the same District to organize the farmers. With the above two issues including other local issues, we have started the campaigning in Jagatsinghpur District for three months such that March, April and May 2010. We have discussed with the farmer leaders of 150 Gram Panchayats out of 194 Gram Panchayats of the district regarding the above issues with their problems. Finally, near about 300 farmer leaders came together on 30th May, 2010 at District Head quarter and declared the District level farmer’s organization named as “Navnirman Krishak Sangathan” (Farmer’s wing of Navnirman Samiti).The executive body of this organization suggested a mass Padayatra from 21st Sept. to 12th October in the meeting of 12th August. In the next general meeting held on 16th September, the Padayatra planning was approved and it was decided that a Mass Rally of 10,000 farmers would take a demonstration before the collectorate of Jagatsinghpur on 28th October with the demands mentioned above. As a result, it will lead to the state level movement of the farmers.
The support we need
I .We need the support of the activists those who can devote their time, skill and energy in the Padayatra and rally.
II .You may send literatures and Documentary video films ect. to give the information and motivation to the farmers to be organized .
III .You can give the intellectual support by writing articles in newspapers and magazines, organizing the seminars and workshops on the above issues.
IV. The co-ordination is most essential between different farmer leaders, social activists and intellectuals. You may take the initiative in this regard to build the strength.
V. You may send your financial contribution individually or institutionally through Cheque/Draft by the name of “Navnirman Samiti” payable at Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar
Hope, you must be co-operative for this National cause of creating a mass movement of the farmers to draw a final alternative political line.
With best love and wishes.
Akshaya Kumar
Convener, Navnirman Krishak Sangathan &
Navnirman Samiti, Odisha
HIG-68, Kanan Vihar ,Phase –I ,Patia , Bhubaneswar
Email-navnirmansamiti@rediffmail.com Mob.09937427611, Office 0674-2740168
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