7/25/2019 National Convention of People's Struggles Indefense of democracy, to protect land, water, forest and livelihoods

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National Convention of People'sStrugglesIndefense of democracy, to protect

land, water, forest and livelihoods

Context of BhoomiAdhikarAndolan

The survival of farmers and sustenance of agriculture is in deeptrouble in the whole of India today. Everyone is worried if theland for farming or even the profession of farmers will surviveor not in this country. Almost every day farmers are comingfrom various corners of the country to !ew "elhi to protest anddemand cancellation of this ordinance. In the entire countryvarious programs are being organi#ed opposing the ordinance.$hile farmer%worker organi#ations from across the countryhave come together and plunged into the campaign.

The Central &overnment in power is leaving out no opportunity

to give away not 'ust land but also our water electricity

mineral resources and people(s labour at cheaper rates. All this

facilitates companies to produce at lesser costs and ensure

maximum pro)ts. *ur current &overnment calls this mode of

production as development and our +rime ,inister has named

this mode of loot as -,ake In India. This model has no laws in

the interest of the workers. It makes the workers highly

dependent on the companies and the companies in total

control. It is not an exaggeration to say that today the country

is not run by the Constitution but by the companies.The &overnment is not even ashamed to say that the interest

of companies is e/uivalent to interest of the nation0 The

corporate%controlled minister Arun1aitley states in the

+arliament that taking consent from the farmers on the 2and

Ac/uisition could pose a threat to nation(s interest. It is

incomprehensible as to what kind of nationalism are we talking

about when they state that taking the consent of the a3ected

farmers%workers poses threat to the nation(s interest0

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$ho else would know the truth of the Company 4a' better than

the people of India who have very closely seen the cruel world

of Company 4a'5 Around 677 years back in a similar manner a

company known by the name of -East India Company had

come to India for doing its business and established its rule by

89:9. ;or the sake of its pro)ts this Company destroyed the

+anchayats that were prevalent then and replaced it with

Zamindari system. Collaborating with the landlords the

company did various kinds of in'ustices to the people of this

country. The Company%led%&overnment looted the farmers

destroyed traditional farming and traditional enterprises

snatched away traditional rights of the Adivasis from the forests

and destroyed the forests through deforestation. In this

Company 4a' farmers had to pay the taxes in the case of

destruction of crops even if it was due to drought and

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organi#ations working on the local issues across the country got

together under -2and Ac/uisition *rdinance +rotest +latform.

*nly one amendment was made in the original *rdinance it

stated that around the corridors for roads and railway tracks

only 8 km space would be taken instead of 6 km on both sides.

The &overnment also knows that land provides livelihood to the

farmers over generations and compensation can never be an

alternative to their livelihood. Everyone also knows that when

cultivable land and farmers would not be left in the country

then the country(s food sovereignty will come to an end which

will lead the nation to be dependent on countries like Australia

and America for food grains. In a similar manner landlessfarmers and agricultural workers associated with the land

village artisans small traders etc. will be wiped out from the

country(s map. In spite of all this the nation(s +rime ,inister

!arendra,odi is calling himself the biggest well%wisher of the

farmers and workers0 e pro'ects the ordinance by assuring

four times compensation of the land taken when in reality the

B1+ ruled state governments are giving only two to two and a

half times compensation for even excessively fertile lands.

Across the country waves of protests have intensi)ed against

the loot of land unconstitutional procedures and erosion of

farmer%labourers. In a strategy meeting held on ?ndApril ?78:

more than 677 farmer organi#ations trade unions urban poor

)sh workers Tribals women organi#ations pro%people

intellectuals from across the country decided the future course

of action and have given the name of this campaign as

-BhumiAdhikarAndolan. It was decided to intensify this

campaign and carry forward the struggle at local regional and

national levels. In this context across the country at various

places protest programs are being organi#ed.

About Convention

+eoples movements defending land water environment

livelihood and democratic rights are coming together toorgani#e a national convention in defense of democracy in April

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month at Ahmedabad in the context of burgeoning onslaughts

under the new government.

The new government at the Centre has made it amply clear

that it is going to pursue the pro%corporate and anti%people

policies of the previous dispensation with much more vigor

coercion and rapid pace. The reality of achchhe din stands

exposed and the peoples aspiration for better life has been

channeli#ed to nefarious communal polari#ation.

The new government has shown its true intentions allowing;oreign "irect Investment D;"I not only in multi%brand retail

but also in the defense sector= amending the existing labor laws

to suit the industry= diluting environmental laws to turn

clearances into mere formalities= and even to amend the much

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regime. Even the 'udiciary will be weakened through various

means and the corporate%controlled media will turn a blind eye.

Guch an ordeal before the peoples movement has very fewprecedents in recent history. It is in this context that the

people(s movements and democratic groups have decided to

call for a national convention during ?6%?:April ?78H in

Ahmedabad &u'arat to discuss the challenges and the way

ahead.

+4*&4A,,E

"ay %8 April ?6 ?78H

+resentation by peoples struggles

existing situation

way forward

;ormation of drafting committee

"ay ? April ?@ ?78H

"iscussion on the draft of declaration

"iscussion on follow up future programs

"ay 6 April ?:?78H

+ublic ,eetingJ *pen session

$e re/uest you to kindly ensure and extend your solidarity to

this national convention.

2ocal contact persons%

Hirennadhi, !rishna"ant, Neeta #ahadev, Asho" bhai

*rgani#ers%

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National Alliance for People$s #ovements %NAP#&, All

India nion of (orest )or"ing People %AI()P&, All India

!isanSabha %A*ay +hawan&, All India !isanSabha

%Cunning ane&,

A"hil+hartiya!risha"!het#a-doorSangathan,

o"Sangharsh#orcha, .uva!ranti, /an

SangharshSamanvayaSamiti,

Chhatisgarh+achaoAandolan, !isanSangharshSamiti,

Sanyu"t!isanSangharshSamilti, INSA(, 0elhi Solidarity

roup, !isan#anch, +hartiya!isan nion