A peasant conference at Lahore on 4th February 2007 demanded an immiediate end of feudalism. Organised by Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee PKRC (peasants coordination committee) was attended by well over 6000, one of largest gathering of peasantry in a conference. During the six hours proceedings of conference, the speakers stressed the need for land reforms and an end of militarisation of agriculture.
The conference was held at the massive Minar-i-Pakistan ground at Lahore. Here in 1940, a resolution was passed at a public meeting of Muslim League for the creation of a seperate country for Muslims. The ground has become a meeting place for the large public rallies in the past.
Today,s conferene was one of the largest gathering by the Left forces in years. The PKRC is an alliance of 23 peasants organisations supported by the progressive forces in Pakistan. By organising this conference with thousands in attendence, it has become the largest peasant organisation of the country.
The most popular slogan of the conference was “long live workers and peasant unity”. The
participants raised slogans against WTO, privatisation, military rule, religious fundamentalism and imperialism. They came to the conference in processions that were led by traditional “Dhols” (drums) and chanting of revolutionary songs.
Hundreds of peasant women also participted in the conference and raised slogans against
discriminatory laws. They demanded equal rights and equal share in every field of life. The women demanded an end of feudal behaviour and respect for their views.
The formal permission to hold this rally was only granted a day before the conferene. This was done after a Lahore High Court order to city government of Lahore to permit the holding of the conference. It is ironic that Lahore district government has formally announced many times that political parties can only hold public meetings at this ground. But when PKRC asked permission to hold the rally a month before, the city government did not bother to reply even two days before the conference. It was the Lahore High Court intervention that made it clear that PKRC can hold this meeting as planned.
It was mainly several movements of the peasants that made this conference a historic one. The Anjaman Mozareenm Punjab AMP (Association of tennents) is fighting for land rights of military farms at Okara, Lahore, Renala Khurd and Depalpur. They brought over a thousand peasants to the conference. The Labour Qaumi Movement of power looms workers in Faisalabad was another group that came in hundreds. Another tennents organisation from Lahore, Ghareeb Itehad Anjaman Shamsia, Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Union, Pakistan Kissan Committee, Pakistan Ghereeb Kissan Tehreek (Pakistan poor peasant movement), Pakistan Kissan Itehad (Pakistan peasants unity) Sind Hari Tehreek, Women Workers Help Line, National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan Workers Confederation and other workers, peasants and social groups participated in large numbers in the conference.
Speakers included Abid Hasan Minto convener Awami Jamhori Tehreek (the left alliance) Farooq Tariq secretary Labour Party Pakistan and PKRC, Bushra Khaliq secretary Women Workers Help Line, Afzal Khamoosh president Pakistan Mazdoor Kissan Party, Shoukat Choudry secretary Pakistan Mazdoor Mehaz, Abdul Hakeem secretrary Awami Tehreek, Shama Bhatti Sindhiani Tehreek, Naseem Shamim Malik of Pakistan National Worker Party, Mehr Abdul Satar secretary AMP, Taj Marri of Inqilabi Jamhoori Committee, Irfan Mufti seretary Pakistan Social Forum, Asim Sajad Akhtar Peoples Rights Movement, Yousaf Baluch chairman National Trade Union Federation and others.
The speakers demanded an end of feudal system, land reforms, against unjust distribution of water and an end of bonded labour. The speakers criticised the policies of present military regime and declared that it has created an unprecedented crises of social, political and economic nature. They said without ending feudalism, democracy can not be achieved in real terms. The feudal class alongside with capitalists class is exploiting the workers and peasants with a greater speed. The military government is protecting the feudal class. The military owns over 12 percent of land in Pakistan.
Speakers criticsed the sloganeering of MQM ( a sectarian political group) to end feudalism. The MQM is part of the present regime and is sharing power with the feudals, how MQM could be anti feudal. It is only the progressive forces and the Left that is persistantly advocating an end of feudalem, capitalism and imperialism.
The speakers declared to build an anti imperialist movement in Pakistan to oppose occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, to oppose the implementation of neo liberal agenda and to fight for the democrtic rights of the workers and peasants.
The speakers said that present military regime with assistence of religious fundamentalist forces are privatising the economy at a faster speed, thus creating a universal outcome of unemplyment, price hike and ending state concessions to the workers and peasants. No implemntation of labour policies is witnessed in Pakistan., They demanded a minimum wages of Rupees 8000 ($135) a month and trade union rights for the agricultural workers.
The speakers at the conference rejected WTO and its agricultrual policies. It condemnded the multinational companies who are taking over the economy with the help of the military regime. Most of agriculture land near the big cities are bought by the multinational companies thus forcing a large scal migration of the peasantry into the cities. WTO recipie for cure is in fact a recipie of sucide. We reject WTO, IMF and World Bank as those who can end poverty. Instead, they are responsible for enahncing poverty. No corporate farming in Pakistan, was another demand raised by the speakers.
They demanded restoration of state subsidies to the peasantry and reduced charges for electricity and gas for the farmers. They demanded an end of privatisation of agricutrual state instituions. The speakers also demanded control of local communities over their natural resources and an end of exploitation of natural resources by the multinational companies. They demanded an end of military operation in Baluchistan and tribal areas. They demnaded the recovery of the disappeared one.
The speakers demanded Pakistan government to issue a Pakistani passport to Ihsan Ullah, an exile bhatta workers leaders and asked the government to let him return to Pakistan.
There were several book stalls at the conference. The food was available for a cost of Rupees 10 ($ 0.20). The PKRC leaders thanked Action Aid Pakistan and other radical social organisation to help in organisng this conference.
Report by: Afzal Soraya
Lahore High Court allowed Pakistan Kissan Conference
February 2, 2007
Today Lahore High Court today directed Lahore City Government to allow Pakistan Kissan Conference to be held on 4th February. The petitioner Abid Hasan Minto pleaded with the court that despite asking permission a month ago, the city government has not yet given formal permission for the Kissan Conference.
Mr. Minto, convener Awami jamhoori Tehreek Pakistan wrote in the petition, “That the petitioner alongside with several other political activists and trade union and Kissan leaders are co sponsoers of a Kissan conference to be held on 4th February 2007 at Minari Pakistan Lahore. The decision to hold this conference was taken three months back under the banner of Kissan Rabita Committee, a body consisting of 22 organizations of tenants, small peasants and agriculture labor. The purpose of the conference is to focus public and government attention on problems and highlight and plight of the peasants arising out of the feudal system. That, the holding of a peaceful rally as proposed is a fundamental rights if the petitioner under article 16 of the constitution and failure to allow the same is clearly a violation of that right”.
After hearing Naeem Shakir advocate, Justice Zahid Hussain Bukhari directed the Lahore City Government to allow the public meeting as planned.
The preparations for the conference are in full swing. Over 80 buses and wagens has been booked by several peasant and political organizations to participate in the conference. Hopefully this conference will be one of the largest gatherings of the peasants in Punjab in a conference to demand an end of feudal system.
The peasant conference will take place on 4th February at Minari Pakistan at 10 am. The conference is organized by Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee.
Farooq Tariq
Some essential details of the Peasant conference in Lahore
Februay 1, 2007
The Pakistan Kissan Conference will take place on 4th February 2007 at Minar-i-Pakistan Lahore. It will start at 10am with some cultural programme and a video documentary about peasants in Sind.
The conference will continue till 4.30pm without interval. The conference will hear prominent peasant leaders, social activists and political parties’ representatives on the question of the peasant movements and peasant issues.
The speakers will highlight different aspects of the peasants’ questions in their speeches. The speakers include Asma Jahanghir, Abid Hasn Minto, Rasul Bakhash Paleejo, Bushra Khaliq and others. Representatives of different peasant organizations related to Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee will take up their issues.
The main speakers will speak about 10 to 15 minutes and the rest will be given a time of 5 to 10minutes.
Food:
The food will be available at the conference at the subsidized cost of Rupees 10, that will be two nan with haleem. Tea will be Rupees 5.
Residence:
There will be no arrangements by the organizers for the residence. But if any request is made, the organizers will arrange for the hotels at the cost of the participants.
Please contact Kashif Aslam tel: 0307 4171816 ,
Nasir Iqbal Tel: 0300 4487344
Travel:
There will be no transport cost paid to any participant apart from the prior arrangements. Thanks to Action Aid Pakistan who has provided some initial cost for the conference to cover some travel subsidy.
Banner, posters and leaflets, literature
Please bring as many posters, leaflets and literature to distribute or sell in the conference. Political parties are not allowed to bring in their flags but we will encourage all the peasant organizations to bring their flags and other banners.
Stall:
We will arrange stall for the books and literature at the cost of Rupees 200. Please inform
Afzal Soraya 0321 9402318
if you want to reserve.
Co Chair
Conference will be co chaired by one female representative of Anjaman Mozareen Punjab and male member of Pakistan Kissan Committee. We want a full participation of women in the conference.
Please try your best for the last leg of mabalisation in your best effort.
Fraternally,
For secretariat:
Farooq Tariq
Mehr Satar,
Tariq Mehmood,
Choudry Fateh Mohammed
Some back ground information
Pakistan Kissan Conference on 4th February
One of the largest peasants gathering in Pakistan is taking place on 4th February at Pakistan Kissan Conference. The conference is organized by Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, an alliance of most of the peasant organizations in Pakistan.
The conference will take place at Minar-i-Pakistan Lahore from 10am till 5pm. Minar-i-Pakistan is a place where most the large political gathering is taking place. It is first time, the forces of the Left in Pakistan has decided to take on the place. It is estimated that over 5000 peasants will take part in the conference.
The main theme of the conference is “end feudalism”. The conference is demanding land reforms and land to the tillers. It is demanding that all state owned land cultivated by the tenants is immediately transferred to the names of the tenants.
The conference is also calling for a just distribution of the water among all the provinces. It is rejecting the WTO agreement on agriculture and is demanding to restore all the state subsidies that have been cut during the implantation of new liberal agenda by the present military regime and previous civil governments. It is calling a massive input into agriculture by the government to uplift the agriculture and that is through land reforms and helping the poor peasants.
The conference is calling for an immediate general elections and en end of militarization and religious fundamentalism.
Main speakers at the conference include Asma Jahanghir chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Abid Hasan Minto president National Workers Party, Rasul Bakhash Paleejo, president Awami Tehreek, Farooq Tariq general secretary Labour Party Pakistan, Bushra Khaliq secretary Women Workers Help Line, Zahida Sheikh secretary Sindhiani Tehreek, Mehr Abdul Satar secretary Anjaman Mozareen Punjab, Choudry Fateh Mohammed president Kissan Committee and others.
Please join the conference and help in mobilizing. Please ask all your friends relatives, colleagues and comrades to join the conference.
Over 65 buses have already been booked to bring the peasants to the conference. But funds are needed for the transport. So for Action Aid Pakistan has pledged to donate some amount. Shirkat Ghah is making a video documentary and will help in printing the report of the conference. South Asia Partnership is looking into possibility to help as well.