In the wake of a series of electoral defeats, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has decided to set up a separate organisation of landless peasants in Bengal. At present there are at least 40 lakh landless peasants in Bengal.
“The organisation of landless peasants will be formally launched in 2016 in the state conference of the Paschim Banga Pradeshik Krishak Sabha (CPI-M’s farmers’ wing),” said Madan Ghosh, the chairman of Krishak Sabha. The decision came soon after CPI-M’s State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra stressed the need for a separate landless peasants’ organisation in Bengal last week.
Asked why the CPI-M had not formed such an organisation in Bengal when it was in power, Mr. Ghosh said that around 1982 the Krishak Sabha decided to set up a separate organisation of landless peasants at its state conference in the then undivided Medinipur district.
“But then it was told from the state (party leadership) that if such an organisation was set up then it would weaken the ongoing land agitation in Bengal,” he said. In the period from 1977 to 1982 registering the names of share croppers with the Left Front-led panchayat was going on in Bengal so that they could not be evicted by land owners, Mr Ghosh said.
Experts differ with CPI-M leadership
Former Land Reforms Commissioner during the Left Front rule Debabrata Bandopadhyay said that the CPI-M did not form a landless peasants’ organisation because they thought it would “weaken” the Krishak Sabha.
“The view of the party leadership was that if such an organisation was formed it would heighten the conflict of interests among the various sections of the peasantry which would ultimately weaken the Krishak Sabha,” said Mr. Bandyopadhyay.
Mr Bandopadhyay, presently Trinamool Congress MP, had served two key land related departments ministers, Harekrishna Konar and Benoy Krishna Chowdhury.
Joint Convener of the Paschim Banga Khetmajur Samity, a landless peasants’ organisation, Swapan Ganguly’s argument was also somewhat similar. “The CPI-M did not form such an organisation because it did not want to displease the medium and large farmers who controlled the party organisation in rural areas,” Mr Ganguly said.
It is perhaps little difficult for the CPI-M to explain why it did not set up a separate organisation for the landless peasants, even when the peasants ritually voted for the party during most part of its long tenure. While the state leadership says that it was a “social” rather than “political” step, a clear change in mindset is now evident.
“The farmers’ struggle in the rural areas of Bengal cannot succeed without the support of landless peasants and therefore immediate setting up such an organisation is essential,” said Mr. Ghosh.
