'Raise your Voice' call given by PBKMS - Beginning of a campaign in South 24 Parganas

Kakdwip, Namkhana and Sagar take to social action initiatives to highlight pressing issues endemic to these regions of South 24 Parganas

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity in association with Shramajivee Mahila Samity has organized a week long campaign in areas under the Kakdwip subdivision of the district of South 24 Parganas. Apart from the general demands on the public distribution system and the public works programme, the campaign will also focus on the rampant sale of illegal liquor and its impact on women and youth, the irregularities in distribution of the aid sanctioned for households affected by the super cyclone 'Amphan' and woes of the working class amidst the pandemic.

Deputations will be submitted to the concerned Block Development Officers as well as to the Officer-in-Charges of the police stations under the Sundarban Police District. The latter offices will be engaged with to highlight the issues faced by our members in negotiating the unregulated sale of alcohol in public spaces. We also plan to meet the Deputy Excise Collector of the Kakdwip range.    

Our members gathering in front of the block office in Namkhana

Women raising slogans before submission of a deputation in Namkhana

Our district leaders leading from the front with raised fists in Namkhana

Members banging on empty plates to highlight the inadequacy of the Public Distribution System in Namkhana

The President of Shramajivee Mahila Samity, Smt Namita Halder addressing the gathering in Namkhana: 

Women gathering before storming the liquor shops in their vicinity

Women in front of a liquor shop after forcing it to close down

Submission of deputation in South 24 Parganas

PBKMS along with SMS took up various social action initiatives which culminated in submission of a deputation to the Mathurapur-2 BDO, South 24 Parganas

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity along with members of Shramajivi Mahila Samity submitted a deputation to the BDO (Block Development Officer) with all our demands ranging from the need to provide more scheme based work to women under MGNREGA, 2005 to immediate disbursal of digitized ration cards. Grievances on implementation of government sponsored programmes to the likes of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin, Mission Nirmal Bangla and social assistance schemes. Post submission of the deputation, a discussion was held with the BDO wherein our leadership has been promised all necessary action(s) on our complaints. Officials also discussed the nature of schemes that can be taken up to benefit women workers and the registered self help group(s) under MGNREGA, 2005. The need to plant fruit trees under the programme in creating a source of essential nutrients for women was conveyed along with the need to encourage nurturing of medicinal plants owing to their multiple uses. We plan to meet the Block Medical Officer of Health (BMOH) soon to highlight the concerns of pregnant and nursing mothers, especially in the manner of disbursal of maternity benefits. The office of the District Magistrate will also be engaged with to put forward our demands concerning rights based legislations at the policy level. A few photographs shot by our members on that day have been shared below:     

Women members shouting slogans in front of the block office

  

A procession before submission of the deputation 

The procession ending outside the block office

Our elder 'Didis' leading the march 

Members outside the BDO's office after submission of the deputation

Members and representatives from 8 Gram Panchayats participated in the proceedings of the day which witnessed a massive gathering after easing of lockdown restrictions in the Diamond Harbour subdivision of the district. Members took to the streets with slogans and revolutionary songs which often acted as a stimulus to break into a dance. 

PBKMS stands in solidarity with our protesting farmers

Source: Mint

 Statement in support of the call for struggle given by farmer’s associations

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, an independent union of agricultural workers, sharecroppers, marginal peasants and plantation workers stand in solidarity with the protesting farmers across the nation, on the recent farm bills passed by both the houses of the parliament. We extend full support to the association(s) for the nationwide ‘bandh’ announced to be enforced on 25^th September, 2020.

The farm bills have literally been forced through both the houses of the parliament with the ‘Rajya Sabha’ witnessing intense scenes leading to the suspension of 8 opposition MP(s). We believe that the farm bills will decrease state support to our farmers, a majority of whom need price protection to avoid falling into debt traps. Weaning away the farming community from cultivating food crops have led to fall in real incomes due to heavy reliance of cash crops on national as well as international markets. Such a situation has led to increased indebtedness of marginal farmers along with food insecurity owing to the need to buy food grains from the market. Hence, the policies of the central government increase the involvement of market forces in determining the price of agricultural outputs which in turn increases their volatility, thereby exponentially increasing the instability of our farmers.

National policies have done little to increase the state investment in farming infrastructure and to create channels for decreasing the input costs of farming. The steady penetration of corporations and multinationals in every sphere of agriculture have led to substantial decrease in the autonomy of the farming community, with the recent farm bills eroding minimum state support assured to the farmers. Our marginal farmers, sharecroppers and those practicing subsistence farming will be the worst hit.

We condemn the hasty manner of tabling the bills in both houses of the parliament and subsequently forcing them down the throat of the nation without adhering to constitutional protocols. No public consultation was facilitated and the opinion(s) of the opposition parties were not respected. Even the reservations of one of their oldest alliance partners could not persuade the government to refer the bills to the respective parliamentary standing committee(s).

We reiterate our support to the farmer’s associations and extend our complete solidarity to their cause. We support the discussion to go on a nationwide strike on 25^th September, 2020 which we believe will enable us to use a democratic means of showing dissent to persuade the government to roll back such short sighted pieces of legislation(s).

 

Shri Uttam Gayen                   Shri Swapan Ganguly                            Smt Anuradha Talwar

(General Secretary)              (State Committee Member)                     (State Committee Member)

Glimpses from North Bengal

PBKMS members participating in the 'Action Week' campaign organized by RTFWN

PBKMS members in and around the tea gardens of North Bengal have responded enthusiastically to the call of a state wide campaign, given by the Right to Food and Work Network, West Bengal. Various initiatives have been planned by our district and block units and people took out rallies, demonstrated in public spaces and deliberated upon the need for a coordinated response from the central and state governments in the present circumstances. A few photographs collected our field areas of North Bengal have been shared below:

A community discussion on issues concerning the Public Distribution System in progress

Workers gathering to begin the rally in Madhu Tea Garden, Alipurduar

Workers holding the banner highlighting the campaign in Madhu Tea Garden, Alipurduar

Workers with the banner after a street corner meeting in Alipurduar

A march in Hantapara Tea Garden, Alipurduar

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