Peasants' body stages protest for land patta

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, Dec 22: Farmers and working class people under the banner of Bhartiya Krisak Sramik Mahasamiti took out a protest rally which after parading through the main streets of this town converged at rsingtola ground. It was addressed among others by Sreepada Dhar, secretary and Islam Uddin Laskar, president of Mahasamiti.

Both of them hit out at the Centre and the State government of Assam for adopting a lackadaisical attitude towards the working classes of people.

In their own inimitable way, they slammed the government of the day for discrimiting against and exploiting them whose contributions towards the agricultural growth and development as well as economy as a whole were immense.

Sreepada Dhar called upon the assembly to raise their voice of protest with more vehemence and force and continue to agitate till their legitimate demands were conceded to. Cry for grant of patta on lands they have been living for years, daily wages of Rs 300 each to worker in tea gardens and engaged in other areas of hard labour, socio-economic development and free medical care and treatment.

Dhar regretted though the working class people are larger in number and strength, a handful of persons at the helm of affairs have subjected them to suffer and survive in adversity. The pseudo-socialists, corporate houses and privileged people of means and resources have completely undermined their ability to react. In the process, development of peasantry class and improvement of agriculture have been affected. The Central and the state governments are working in the interests of rich and capitalists.

The secretary of Mahasamiti continuing his attack on the government said even the deaths of farmers caught in the burden of debts could not shake them up. In contrast to the uplift of upper class people, the hard hit workers and peasants continue to grovel in the mire of poverty.

The skyrocketing prices of all commodities are adding to the woes and sufferings of poor and have notes. It is difficult to imagine how the ill paid workers survive. Coming back to the issue of land patta, he said jamindari system has gone and the land laws have been modified and amended, but all this has been more on paper.

Islam Uddin Laskar said the condition of farmers is worst confounded in the absence of irrigation facility for which crores of rupees of the exchequer have gone down the drain. Workers are also deprived of their job and food security cards. The system is creeping with rampant corruption. He found no difference between the NDA and the UPA.

The working class people are caught in the coil of endless problems.

He called upon the people to take up cudgel against the government and its corrupt system to get social and economic justice. Besides fighting for their rights to live with dignity, they have also to raise their voice against the growing forces of commulism and radicalism, terrorism, atrocities against women.