Release Mehar Abdul Sattar, Baba Jan and other peasant leaders and withdraw false charges against peasant leaders.
Pay fair compensation to those farmers whose crops damaged by rain and thunderstorms.
Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee seminar on international day of peasants in Lahore.
Lahore:
“Pay compensation immediately to those farmers whose crops have been destroyed by the rains and thunderstorms during the last two days. Most of wheat crop is damaged and the government must announce a commission to determine the damages and pay compensation accordingly”
Farooq Tariq general secretary Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee said at a seminar organised on the international day of peasants in Lahore. The seminar was chaired by Mian Mohammed Ashraf and addressed by youth, women peasant activists and agriculture experts at Lahore Press Club.
Farooq Tariq said that we demand an immediate release of Mehar Abdul Sattar, Baba Jan and all other peasant leaders who are behind bar because they were advocating farmer’s right to land and fair compensations to climate change victims.
He demanded the withdrawal of all fabricated charges against the peasant leaders advocating for land rights and were leading peasants struggle.
Farooq Tariq demanded the arrest of the killers of Mumshad Watto killed at Pakpatten when he and his comrades resisted those who wanted them to evict the land they were cultivating for decades.
Mian Asif Sharif presented his ideas on sustainable natural crop production. He said that we have reduced the inputs of peasants to a dramatic level and hence enhanced the income of the small farmers. Our method is spreading like fire now in Pakistan. He criticised those agents of pesticide and seed companies who are advising farmers to use more of it.
Mian Asif Sharif, a known agriculturist, said that we need to end the exploitation of the multi national companies and we must adopt the natural method of agri production that was used for centuries in Punjab. He said that there is not a single school where farmers could learn the effective manners of crop productions. He demanded that such schools should be opened across Pakistan.
Nazli Javed narrated the hard lives of women farmers and said that women are worst off in this area. Most of the agriculture labour are women but they are paid a very little amount. Women are subject to exploitation at several levels. Women farmers must demand a fair share in the heritage which is normally denied to them.
Dr Ashraf Nizami president Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) highlighted the health issues facing the peasantry and demanded that government must pay due attention to the health facilities at village level. He said that there should be no more agriculture land used for housing societies.
Muhsin Abdali highlighted the problems that youth is facing and he paid rich tribute to the peasants who laud their lives for land rights in Brazil. He demanded the implementation of peasants charter approved by United Nations General Assembly on 17th April 2018.
Saima Zia, women secretary of Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee conducted the seminar.
Lal Band presented revolutionary songs on the occasion. Scores of peasants representatives from Lahore, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Sheikhupura, Mardan, Pakpattan, Layya, Jhelum and other districts participated in the seminar.
Nasir Iqbal
International Peasants Day observed
LAHORE: International Day of Peasants’ Struggle was observed in the provincial metropolis on Wednesday. To pay homage of peasants’ struggle a seminar on” Peasants Rights Now with Agrarian Reform and Social Justice” was organised at Lahore Press Club.
Mohsin Abdali, demanded compensation for the farmers whose crops were destroyed during recent heavy rain/hailstorm.
In the seminar Nazli Javed of Awami Workers Party (AWP) said, “Social and economic situation of women farmers in the country is worse. Women are not given ownership and share of inheritance in land. In addition, little girls have been working in the houses of feudal lords. These girls are not safe and were not paid.” She said pregnant agrarian women were suffering through even worse situation. There were no health facilities for women farmers. Feudalism is a great barrier in the progress of women, she said.
Dr Ashraf Nizami, Head of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), said government could not provide health facilities to the farmers of Pakistan. He demanded social security for farmers. Land Reforms should be introduced for the farmers of the country, he demanded.
Agricultural expert Asif Shareef said agriculture was a solution of our every problem. 60 per cent of our population was dependent on it. Agriculture should not be given the least importance. Production required knowledge and its use including resources. Our industrial system had collapsed. Excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides on crops had created health problems.
Farooq Tariq, General Secretary of AWP, said landless farmers were killed in Brazil in 1996 on April 17, when they had protested against feudalism. Struggle of farmers is theme of the day. We support the decision of Imran Khan about houses society not to be built on agricultural land. Environmental changes should be given attention by the government.
Our Correspondent
• The News. April 18, 2019:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/459418-international-peasants-day-observed?fbclid=IwAR1MckLlfUY2XbCCg4AnbG8CV9eQIeTY98qTBD1sgy7Txx0QxT4SrpQ5Vv4