Thousands of peasants set out early morning for the Mahapanchayat in tractors, cantor vehicles and buses decorated with colourful banners, as well as on camels. At the destination, several thousand participants clad in white and sporting turbans of various colours patiently and attentively took part in the big meeting. This is a glimpse of the Kisan Mahapanchayat, which was organised at Khinania village of Nohar district, Rajasthan by the Mazdoor - Kisan - Vyapari Sangarsh Sasmiti on 24th Sept 2006. A correspondent of People's Voice who had the opportunity to take part in this program has sent us this report.

The residents and farmers of the drought-affected regions of Rajasthan have been waging a stern and undaunted struggle for many years for obtaining irrigation facilities for their lands. The much-discussed Indira Gandhi canal has also been unsuccessful in bringing respite to the drought-affected farmers of Rajasthan after all these years. Readers of People's Voice would remember that the police mercilessly opened fire on drought- affected farmers of the Taunk district of Rajasthan who were demanding irrigation water for their crops, killing several of them in the process. The condition of the farmers is deteriorating with each passing day and there is no end in sight to the problem of water. It was to discuss this burning issue of water and to decide on the next steps in their struggle that the peasants gathered in the Mahapanchayat. Whole families had come over to listen to the proceedings of the event.

Grand banners behind the dais proclaimed the demands of the farmers. Sarpanches, trade union leaders, college teachers, and representatives of the Hind Naujawan Ekta Sabha, Lok Raj Sangathan as well as other local leaders were seated on the stage, and many of them addressed the gathering.

The speakers presented the various problems faced by the peasants. It was pointed out that at the time the Indira Gandhi canal was being built, it was claimed that its purpose was to bring greenery to Rajasthan. But even today, deficiency and despair is the lot of the people in the drought affected regions. Instead of serving these regions, the water of the canal is being supplied to big cities like Ajmer and Jaipur to the benefit of the big capitalists, Indian and foreign. The government was severely criticised for according greater importance to the selfish interests of this class rather than for those of the toiling peasants. Some speakers pointed out that the peasants had in fact proposed to the government that their labour could be used for digging the canal in order to bring water closer to their lands, but this proposal was turned down by the government. Instead of this, political parties have been digging canals on the eve of every election in order to win the votes of the peasants, though no water flows through such canals. The taking away of land to benefit the agricultural activities of the big capitalists and the displacement of whole villages were condemned. It was demanded that the state government ought to ensure the supply of inputs necessary for farming such as seeds and fertilizers and guarantee that the peasants obtained proper prices for their produce. The brutality unleashed on fighting peasants and police firing, which led to several of them being martyred, was severely admonished. All speakers called for the strong unity of the peasants, workers and small traders and the intensification of their struggle for their just demands.

Addressing the Mahapanchayat, the representative of the Lok Raj Sangathan stated that a handful of big capitalists today control the natural resources of the nation such as land, water, forests, etc. whereas it is we, the peasants and workers and adivasis to whom all these actually belong, and who should have been in control. The reason for the current state of affairs is that political power is in the hands of the big capitalists and all parliamentary political parties prop up the interests of the capitalists rather than that of the workers and peasants. We cannot rely on the false promises of such political parties. Instead we must struggle to establish the rule of the workers and peasants. By establishing the rule of the workers and peasants, we can ensure our own control over the land, water, forests and other resources of the country and we will be able to use these for the benefit of all the toilers. Workers of the cities and villages must build a fighting unity with the toiling peasants and step up the struggle for the establishment of the state of the workers and peasants. Only then can we find lasting solutions to all the problems we face today.

The Kisan Mahapanchayat is an unparalleled example of the unity and resolve of the peasants of Nohar district. People’s Voice fully supports this struggle.