KOTTAYAM: ‘The PEOPLE’, a collective of farmer’s organizations from across the state plans to intensify agitations demanding fair treatment for farmers in the state.
The umbrella forum of 32 farmers organizations from across the state will be spearheading their future course of agitations on the basis of a rights draft prepared by them at a meet held in Kottayam recently. The association has already convened a convention of farmer’s organizations on August 17 so as to discuss the future course of action.
“The forum has decided to raise the struggle demanding a fair deal for farmers in the state. All the constituent organisations have together resolved to fight against the anti-farmer policies of the central and the state government,” said Adv VC Sebastian, co-ordinator of The PEOPLE.
The Indian Rubber Farmers Movement (INFARM), a constituent of PEOPLE, recently came down heavily on the government decision to appoint a committee to study the crisis the rubber farmers are facing in the state.
“The members of the newly appointed committee are either members of political parties or former employees of the rubber board. The new committee does not have any representatives from farmer’s organizations or real farmers. We suspect that this is intended to impose the vested interests of the government upon the farmers”, said Father Antony Kozhuvanal, general secretary of INFARM.
He added that the latest decision of the government to give form to a committee is in view of the coming local self-government elections. According to sources, the agitations by the forum will give a fillip to the struggle of the rights of farmers across the state.
The constituents of People consist of INFARM, the High Ranges Samrakshana Samithi(HRSS), Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Sanghom, Kuttanadu Vikasana Samithi, Paschima Ghatta Jana Samrakshana Samithi, Karshaka vedi among other organizations.
