Vigorous mobilization of peasants in South Tamil Nadu

Lok Raj Sangathan and Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam (Tuticorin district) have been vigorously mobilizing peasants in Tuticorin District of South Tamil Nadu around their demands. This is a report of the campaign from our correspondent who accompanied the campaigners.

On July 30 th, hundreds of peasants belonging to the Ottapidaram Taluk in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu rallied at Pasuvandanai demanding that the government immediately take steps to fulfill their demands. The rally was jointly organized by Lok Raj Sangathan and Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam (Tuticorin district).

Activists of Lok Raj Sangathan and the peasant union, mounted a vigorous campaign to mobilize the peasants for the rally and to rebuild the peasant’s union which had suffered a setback in recent years. The campaign was extremely successful with hundreds of peasants becoming members. A team of campaigners went from village to village and conducted a spirited propaganda campaign to convince the peasants in the area that rebuilding their organization is most crucial at this time when the big monopolies and their government are launching massive attacks on their livelihood and policy changes are being contemplated to make them subservient to the big monopolies and finance capital. The campaigners distributed leaflets on the demands of the peasants in the area and addressed groups of peasants in the villages. The People's Voice correspondent was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the peasants and the warm reception that the villagers gave to the campaigners.

The peasants have been agitating on various issues such as assured procurement at remunerative prices for their produce, immediate steps to desilt existing ponds and prevent further depletion of ground water, agricultural inputs at affordable prices, and many others. They have also been agitating that the DMK government which came to power riding on a wave of resentment against the earlier regime, implement its election promises. The DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu promised several things for the peasants on the eve of elections, such as write-off of loans and interest, free electric power for agriculture, 2 acres of land for the landless and so on. The peasants in the district are demanding that loans and interest taken from public and private sector banks and regional rural banks should be also waived. They have also been demanding that along with 2 acres of land, the government also provide adequate agricultural inputs and marketing support to sell their products.

The peasants of the district have also been demanding that the hegemony of political parties over the elections to the local bodies and town panchayats, due shortly, should be ended and people should have the right to select and elect the candidates of their choice including the right to recall their representative if found unsatisfactory.

Vast agricultural areas of this district are rain fed. With falling ground water levels and declining state investments in irrigation, the peasants in this area are hardly able to raise one crop in a year. To sell their produce, whether it is vegetables, coarse grains or chilly, they get no support from the government. They are completely dependent on the vicissitudes of the market to earn their living. While the cost of inputs have been rising enormously the peasants do not get reasonable prices for their produce.

The membership drive of the Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam and the rally of peasants have given a tremendous impetus to the struggle of peasants here. Speakers in the rally proposed that demonstrations and rasta roko campaigns should be organized on issues such as loan waiver and price rise, and that the peasants should exercise their right to select and elect their own candidates in the local body elections due in October 2006, wherever possible. It was decided to step up the membership and awareness campaign and organize a vehicle propaganda campaign to generate widespread discussion among the peasants on the way forward.