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`Ready to ally with anyone in farm stir'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 27. The All India Kisan Sabha president and CPI(M) politburo member, S. Ramachandran Pillai, has said the Kisan Sabha and the All India Agricultural Workers' Union (AIAWU) were ready to ally with anyone to fight against globalisation policies.

Briefing reporters about the second day's deliberations at the national seminar on `Agrarian situation in India and alternative policies' here today, Mr. Pillai said farm workers, poor farmers, middle peasantry and a section of the rich farmers would have to join forces to taken on the forces of globalisation. He, however, made it clear that landlords who did not have any direct contact with land, would have no place in such a struggle. They would have a place in the struggle if they were prepared to stand up against globalisation, he added.

He contested the claim that fallow lands could be put to better use if these were handed over to private entrepreneurs and multinational companies. What was necessary in the country today was not privatisation of land holdings or changes in lease laws, but a concerted effort by the Government and its various agencies in increase investment in the farm sector, he said.

Mr. Pillai said the nation was moving towards a major crisis in its farm sector. With globalisation policies taking effect, food grain availability had fallen and regional disparities had got accentuated. The withdrawal of the Government from areas such as public distribution, health, education and other major service areas had aggravated the plight of the people, he said.

Earlier, the All India Agricultural Workers' Union general secretary, A. Vijayaraghavan, told the seminar that agricultural workers and other rural poor in the country would have to wage united struggles focusing on alternate employment, proper implementation of poverty alleviation programmes and payment of minimum wages.

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