AIKS Takes Out Rallies in West Bengal to Celebrate Victory of the Farmers’ Movement

On Saturday and Sunday, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) took out victory rallies in parts of West Bengal where sudden bouts of rain have not wreaked havoc. Speaking to NewsClick, Amal Halder, state secretary of AIKS and convener of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) said, “Despite the untimely rain, AIKS units took out rallies wherever possible to celebrate the significant victory of the farmers.”

Farmers of Gudhia, a small village of Murshidabad, West Bengal, participated in a rally carrying red flags to celebrate the victory. A decorated bullock-cart led the rally. Horns of the cows were painted red with sindoor to mark the significance of the occasion. Local AIKS leader Raismul Haqis told NewsClick, “This victory is auspicious, as it is a win against the anti-farmer Union government.”

The rally of farmers touched two villages.

Farmers of Raninagar also organised a rally to celebrate the victory of the farmers' movement. On December 11, celebration meetings were held at Chhaighari, Berhampore and other areas in the district.

Farmers of Murshidabad, West Bengal are burdened with their own problems. This year, the production of paddy has not been good in many areas. Farmers of Kandi, Nabagram, Lalbag suffered losses in Aman Dhan ( a type of paddy). The proper paddy procurement system has not been functioning in West Bengal. The state government-run procurement centres are controlled by local hoarders and their touts. Farmers are forced to sell paddy at a lesser price to pay their bills. Amid such a crisis, the victory of the movement has encouraged farmers all across the district to fight for minimum support price.

On December 11, farmers organised small public meetings and rallies in 20 places in the Murshidabad District. In Howrah district of West Bengal rallies were taken out in 12 places. congratulating the farmers for their victory. In Jagatballavpur, a torch rally was taken out. In Cooch Behar district, rallies were taken out in more than eight places . The rallies were led by the district leadership of AIKS.

The victory celebrations were dampened in the state due to untimely rain affecting the aman cultivation. Acres and acres of arable land have been affected, and potato cultivation has taken a major setback due to the rains in December. Two farmers from the state have died by suicide, unable to pay off their debts.