From: "james.carroll" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Peasants Uprising, Tenants Demands Ownership Rights of Land Peasants Uprising, Tenants demands ownership rights of land Peasants belonging to the military farms across Pakistan are demanding ownership rights of the land they are cultivating for over 88 years. A peasant's convention held on 16th November at Okara military farms was attended by over 10,000. Over a 1000 of them were women peasants. The convention was organized by Anjaman Muzaraeen (Tenant's Organization) of district Okara. The main slogans raised at the convention were "ownership or death" "Those who cultivate the land, has the right of ownership" and "we will win". Most of the representatives of the peasant organization across the country were present. The British established military farms in the early 1900. Many workers were asked to cultivate the land on tenancy basis. They left the cities to go these farms. The farms were to provide dairy and other products for military purposes. At present it is the fourth generation of the peasants who are working in these farms but still they do not have the right of ownership. In Okara district alone, over 17000 acres of land belong to these farms. When the present military regime came into power in 1999, in order to increase the income of the state, they went on all out strike against the working class. On the name of the reforms, most of the concessions were under attack. These peasants who were working for over 88 years in these lands were asked to become contractors instead of tenancy. That would have meant that they could cancel the contract any time and ten take the land over by themselves. The tenant organization rejected this clever move and then decided that they will not pay anything to the military farms administration. They also find out that the real aim of this new contract system is the grab this expensive land from them. They also find out that military in fact is not the owner but the Punjab government is the real landowner. They decided that they pay the tenancy cost to the Punjab revenue department. In March this year, the military authorities tried to test the ground. They send the police to a village to collect the wood. The villagers refused to give in and asked the police party to go away. Then the police of the whole district came to collect the wood from the villagers. The women of the village came in the forefront and then they attacked the police with their sticks. This motivated the rest of the peasants. They all came to fight back and such was the intensity that the police have to resort to firing in the air. A police bullet wounded a child. But police had no alternative but to run away from the scene. The incident brought most of the village in the area to get united in the Tenant Organization. The TO became on of the most strong organization of the district. They decided to contest the local bodies' elections and got all their nominated persons elected with massive majority. All efforts by the military farm administration to win them the seats went in failure. To continue this uprising of the local peasants, they decided to hold a nationwide peasant convention at Okara. They also decided to invite both from Left and Right forces to this convention. Jamaat-I-Islami, the main religious fundamentalist organization has established a Kissan (peasant) Board. The main leaders of this organization were also invited to speak. >From the Left, Abid Hassan Minto, the president of National Workers Party, Farooq Tariq, general secretary Labour Party Pakistan, Dr. Mubashir Hasan, president of Pakistan Peoples Party Shaheed Bhotto Group Punjab were invited. The representatives of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Justice and Peace Commission of Pakistan were also invited. From the Left parties, Farooq Tariq participated in the convention while the other tow leaders could not make up for different reasons. The organizers decided to give the chair of the convention to Kissan Board while Farooq Tariq was asked to become the chief guest of the convention. The peasant leaders of different organizations who made it clear that they are not going to give up the fight addressed the convention. They told the administration that now with the new unity of the peasant organization, the struggle will continue. The main local leader, Abbas told the convention that my forefathers have made this land cultivatable. It was a jungle and we did all the hard work. But still we are not the owners despite working on this land for over 88 years. He said there is no military officer laying in our graveyard, it is all our forefathers who are lying there. We gave life to this land but the military authority without any hard work takes the fruit of the land. Speaking on the occasion, Mehboob Khan of Pakistan Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that the best part of this peasant uprising is the unity of Muslim and Christian peasants on one platform. He said this struggle has nothing to do with religion but it is class question. He said HRCP demands the ownership rights for the peasants. He said laws are made to help the people and not to make their life miserable. If the present laws are not allowing the peasants for ownership rights then new laws in favor of this exploited class should be made. Peter Jacob, the executive secretary of Justice and Peace Commission assured the peasants of their full help in their struggle. He said we are pleased to see the peasants regardless of their religion uniting on one platform. The chief guest of the convention, Farooq Tariq general secretary of Labour Party Pakistan said that this is referendum in favor of the demands of the tenants. "I challenge the military authorities to hold any such gathering and ask the people if they any moral right to own this land". "No one will be on their side" He said. He said LPP would expand this movement to the cities and link it with the working class. This movement has to be part and parcel of the movement for peace in Pakistan. Class questions are linked with democracy and peace in Pakistan, he said. He said the military authorities have not fulfilled any of their promise to take action against the rich class. But on the instructions of World Bank and IMF, they are taking on the working class as a whole. He said the main slogans of the peasants are that those who cultivate, has the right to own. This is our strategy. He said LPP demands the nationalization of all the lands belonging to feudal class. A lot of slogans raised in favor of the peasant demands during Farooq Tariq speech. The peasants chanted, "move forward, we are with you, Long live LPP and that we will win". Speaking in the end of the meeting, Sadiq Khakwani of Kissan Board told the authorities that look at the mood of the peasants and just give them the land. He said we would be with the peasant movement at all cost. He assured the convention that Kissan Board will March towards Islamabad to press for the demands. The peasant convention ended with a lot of enthusiasm and with determination to continue the struggle. Report by: Rao Riaz Member Lahore Council Labour Party Pakistan _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
