To all members of National Committee,
I am happy to inform you that there is an important development in the State of Kerala. Veteran trade union leader Shri. Thumpon Thomas and his colleagues, who were running Indian Socialist Party, have now joined our Socialist Party (India), and he has been elected President of Kerala State Unit of Socialist Party (India). This will lead to more consolidation of Socialist forces in that State and give a turn to Kerala politics.
It is also gratifying to note that senior friends, Thanjai Elansingam and C.N. Kumar, have formed a State committee of Socialist Party (India) for Tamil Nadu State. They wish some of our national office bearers to visit that State within a couple of months.
The whole nation is witnessing a great drama in our National Capital. More than a lakh of Kisans from Punjab, Hariyana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajsthan are knocking at the doors of Modi government, which is too arrongant to heed to the grievences of the citizens. For 45 days, the Kisans have been asking for scrapping of the three Acts and a written undertaking that the government will undertake the legal responsibility of declaring MSP and arrange for purchase of agricultural produce when market prices go down below the MSP.
Honble. Nitin Gadkari, senior member of Modi cabinet had publicly complained that nobody is pinpointing how those three Acts are not useful for the Kisans. In the first place the Amendment to Essential Commodities Act says that major agricultural produce, like foodgrains, oilseeds pulses, etc. have been deleted from the list of commodities about which no limit will be put on amount of stocks (Rs. 500 crores or more) or a time limit to have stocks for no more than three months. Can Gadkari say that any ordinary Kisan in this country can hold stocks of foodgrains worth Rs. 500 crs? This amendment is obviously favorable to very rich traders only and, as indicated by Delhi CM Arvind Kejariwal, is bound to boost price rise of that essential commodity.
Gadkari should know that 80% of our peasants who are small farmars want to sell their produce in the nearest possible market place as soon as harvesting is over. They cannot afford to take their produce to distant markets where prices may be a little higher. The slogan of ‘one nation one market’ is of no use to them. The APMC, which has 11 farmer members as against only 3 traders, needs to be powerful enough to reign in traders who are deferring payments beyond the stipulated time.
Thanks to the Act passed by Modi government in that eventuality farmers will have to approach SDO whose office may be 20 to 60 km away and always very busy. This is certainly harmful for the Kisans.
About the contract farming, which is greatly facilitated by the third Act, Corporate agents will certainly enjoy superior bargaining position and dictate terms to the poor farmers.
All those familiar with our rural economy are opposing the three Acts but the Govt. is unreasonably adament. They feel they only know what is in the best interest of the Kisans and so they are asking the later to shut up and obey meekly.
Protests are being raised in every corner of the nation against the 3 Acts of the Modi government. Indian democracy is passing through hard times. But we shall overcome and win because justice is on our side.
National Committee will meet at Delhi on 14 February from 11am to 5pm.
Comradely Yours,
Pannalal Surana
