KMSS on fund-raising drive?

'...evidences have made us not to take all that KMSS leaders say without a pinch of salt.  Over the years they have been known for their tirade against capitalists and businessmen. How come they seek funds amounting to lakhs of rupees from them now?'

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 15:The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS) has all along been maintaining that it holds its rallies with funds from the public and its members. Can this assertion of the farmers’ body be accepted at its face value? This is indeed a million dollar question, given the allegations that keep coming from various sources regarding its fund-raising drive.

There are allegations that the KMSS has been on a massive fund-raising drive, ostensibly to make its three-day conference at Moran slated from March 18 a grand success. The phrase ‘grand success’, according to sources, may get different messages across – one for KMSS think tank and the other for its grassroots-level workers and supporters. This is because it in this conference the farmers’ body will decide whether it should float a political party or not. Sources claim that the KMSS is far from being transparent to its thousands of workers and supporters, let alone the general public.

Sources allege that the KMSS has been seeking dotions from capitalists, businessmen, traders and others. “Even fish traders like mahaldars have not been spared, and the amounts sought go over lakhs of rupees,” sources alleged, and added: “Such evidences have made us not to take all that KMSS leaders say without a pinch of salt.  Over the years they have been known for their tirade against capitalists and businessmen. How come they seek funds amounting to lakhs of rupees from them now?”

The sources further said that the target businessmen and capitalists have already moved the government against the leaders of the farmers’ body. The sources further said that if the KMSS goes ahead  with its plan for floating a political party, it will soon lose its support base – the might of the mass.