Highlighting the series of historical movements led by farm workers and farmers, Rajya Sabha member and joint secretary of All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) V. Sivadasan has said that farmers and workers not only fought the British during the freedom struggle but also shed their blood to safeguard their land from the various rulers and zamindars in the country.
He was speaking after inaugurating a State-level seminar on โIndian Independence and Labourersโ organized by the district unit of the Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikarara Sangha in Kalaburagi on Saturday.
On the one hand, the various rulers in India fought the British and at the same time, they also exploited agricultural workers and the poor farmers who were forced to work as bonded labour on farms, Mr. Sivadasan said.
He said that though India got freedom from the British, agricultural workers are being forced to endure a slave-like situation even today as theย bonded labour system is still prevalent in India.
It is a grave social issue that violates fundamental rights, he said and lauded the historical movements led by agricultural workers in West Bengal, Punjab, undivided Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Retired judge G.K. Gokhale spoke.
Secretary of the sangha B. Venkat, AIAWU State president M. Puttamadaiah, vice-president G.N. Nagaraj and general secretary Chandrappa Hoskera were present.
