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Paddy stir may cultivate fresh trouble in Kerala CPI-M

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

Farmers in Kerala are in a state of panic: the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist's peasant wing, has decided to resume its agitation against paddy field conversion.

The concern is because a similar agitation in July 1997 had led to crop destruction in several parts of the state.

The KSKTU has decided to organise the stir in Alappuzha district. They say the government has failed to fulfill its assurances on protecting paddy fields.

The government had earlier appointed a committee to suggest ways to contain the conversion. But the committee is yet to submit its report. Agriculture Minister Krishna Kaniyamparampil said his government was 'determined' to solve the issue, and would hold discussions with farmers and farm-workers on receipt of the report.

However, the KSKTU are not satisfied with such assurances. A leader said paddy field conversion was going on on a massive scale in several parts of Alappuzha district, despite the government's promises.

The KSKTU's decision is seen as part of a move by the V S Achutanandan faction in the CPI-M to consolidate its position in the Alappuzha district, where it suffered setbacks in the just-concluded election. C S Sujatha's defeat is considered a big blow to the senior CPI-M leader since he had handpicked her to strengthen his group in the district against its opposers, the Centre for Indian Trade Unions.

There are complaints that some senior CITU leaders had maneuvered Sujatha's defeat. The matter is now under the party leadership's consideration.

Achutanandan himself was a victim of electoral sabotage at Mararikkulam in 1996. The defeat he suffered in the assembly election had dashed his hope of becoming the chief minister. The matter was inquired into, and action taken against some CITU leaders.

The CITU wing has been in a belligerent mood ever since its drubbing in the party's recent organisational poll. The denial of tickets to its nominees in the election added insult to injury. The wing, which was powerful before the January state conference, mooted a forum called 'Save CPI-M forum' to fight the 'injustice' meted out to them. The Achutanandan faction complained against this move to the national leadership of the party. The matter is expected to come up before the Central committee.

The KSKTU stir may provoke a confrontation between the two factions since there are sharp differences in the party over the way it is being organised. A section believes that forcing farmers to cultivate a particular crop is against their democratic right. The farmers shifted to cash crops only because paddy was found to be unremunerative. The cost of production of paddy witnessed a 130 per cent increase in the past few years, they pointed out. Even economists and planners feel the state should not stick with paddy when there are other profitable options open.

However, the KSKTU agitators claim that further decline in paddy holdings would not only affect workers but have a bearing on the food security of the state too. The area for paddy has been declining steadily for the past one decade -- from the 800,000 hectares in 1987, it came down to 470,000 hectares in 1997. The production declined from 130,000 tonnes to 870,000 tonnes during the period.

The earlier agitation by the KSKTU had created a hornet's nest in Kerala, with the Congress-led Opposition launching a counter agitation in protest.

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