2023

The long-time struggles of Dalits, Adivasis, agricultural workers, and many other marginalized groups with the solidarity of various Dalits and Adivasis social movements, trade unions of agricultural workers, Pro-People Political parties, and Civil Society Organizations were able to attend to a large extent from the worst conditions of lives of hunger and boundedness. Due to poor implementation of land reforms, only 1.67% of the land has been distributed in the state of which 65% has gone back to the indelible landlords. With all dole out promises the marginalised were able to access some welfare and development activities. Far from this reality today, the AP government removed 27 schemes of poor people, especially SC and ST sub-plan funds which have been diverted. In the name of development projects, the government has been grabbing the assigned lands and giving it to the corporate sector for the last 2 decades.  

At the time of independence, the total population was 35 crores, out of which 60% (20 crores) are landless labourers. Today, the estimated population is 140 crores. Among them, 40% (60 crores) of people are landless rural population. Out of 60 crores of landless, 70% of them are Dalits and Adivasis, denied access to their inalienable Right to Land, Forest and Common Property Resources. All the land reform laws including the Forest Rights Act remain paper tigers and pay the way for the corporate sector to grab the agricultural lands from the poor farmers, Dalits, and Adivasis in the name of development. 

While thousands of forest claims and demand for titles over the land by the poor cultivators have been mounting up without settlement as per the law, the government has conducted land surveys and grabbed lack of acres of land from poor farmers. In the name of SEZ (Special Economic Zone), the development of airports, industrial corridors, chemical industries, business corridors, and irrigation projects on riverbanks. The forceful displaced people’s resettlement has been deprived and they have been consistently displaced. In return, the number of landless families is increasing. 

The agriculture sector is in crisis. The agricultural companies are dominating with high-handedness. Many farmers are sharecroppers/ tenant farmers are facing severe financial losses and distress forcing them to commit suicides. Amid the crisis, the lives of dependent agricultural coolies became play ball in the hands of political parties/government and corporates.

To address their problem permanently, the governments should implement land reform laws – distribute the government land to the landless. As NIRD (National Institute of Rural Development-Government body) study, revealed that 65% of the total government land in Telugu state has gone in the hands of ineligible rich/landlords and most of them are absentee landlords living in cities, while millions are in hunger, without land in rural area! The same NIRD study and the Ministry of Rural Development released reports that there is enough land to give to the landless to cultivate and become self-reliant. So the government should restore all the alienated land and give back to the landless poor. Prioritizing the distribution for Dalits, Adivasis, and backward caste living and depending on lands. Further, the government should provide basic infrastructure facilities and financial support to take up agriculture as their means of livelihood. After long struggles, the government of India has given MGREGA 100 days of employment per family which is not sufficient for a family to survive. However, the governments do not have the political will to implement it properly. Hence, 40% of funds have been unspent every year, when the majority of rural workers are unemployed. 

Firstly, one can understand easily how feudalistic the government ever since independence, about the above-mentioned categories. Although agriculture is highly skilled work, the wages have been fixed as unskilled. Hence, even today the minimum wage is Rs. 248/-. The study conducted by NAAWU (National Alliance of Agriculture allied Workers Union) in Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka revealed that every rural poor family expenditure is Rs. 1,600 per day, while their income is only Rs. 650/- per day, as an average throughout the year. In other workers, they live in debt all through their lives because of the political parties and the government who do not have the political will to resolve their problems permanently.  

Secondly, the central government has enacted 4 labour codes merging all progressive labour legislations in the name of expanding the labour security for informal workers. In fact, the formal trade unions in the country have never been consulted to get their opinion. The real background to enact the codes in the interest of business and corporate sector to ease their trade to expropriate resources free from labour problems. This is indicated clearly, in the Social Security Code which is meant to expand social security for informal workers but never mentions a word of agriculture workers and small farmers who are the majority of the workforce in the country.  

In the context of upcoming elections, we the informal workers, majority, Dalits, Adivasis, backward castes and rural communities are collectively put forward our demands to the political parties to incorporate in their manifestos and follow up of the promises;

1)   The government should restore the surplus land & also government lands to distribute to the rural landless agricultural workers with priority for Dalits, Adivasis, backward caste, and landless poor. Provide infrastructural facilities such as irrigation and electrical facilities. Fertilizers, seeds, and implements to settle down in cultivation for self-reliance. 

2)   Implement the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfer) Act, 1977 which is popularly known as the 9/77 Act to restore all the alienated government lands and to distribute them to the original landless assignees. Implement, the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation Act, 1970 which is popularly known as 1/70 to prevent non -Adivasis from grabbing the land from Adivasis. 

3)   The rights of the tribal communities as per the Forest Rights Act should be implemented in the forest and expanded to Adivasis living in the plain areas. 

4)   The assigned lands distributed to the genuine poor should not be alienated in the name of public purposes and developmental projects. 

5)   SC and ST sub-plan funds should not be diverted to other schemes. They should be utilized exclusively for the development of Dalits and Adivasis.

6)   MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) cards should be given to every worker in the family, replacing family-based cards. Provide 200 days employment for every worker. As per, the 7th Pay Commission recommendation a minimum wage should be fixed as Rs. 850/- per day recognizing the rural workers as skilled workers.

The demands of informal workers to incorporate in Social Security Code:

1)   We as informal workers, contribute more than 50% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, we are not recognized as workers contributing to the economy. Recognize and register as workers. 

2)   Pay of Rs.50,000/- as a maternity entitlement for women in the informal sector covering six months. 

3)   Rs. 5000/- should be paid as a monthly pension for all elderly persons of above 60 years for men and 55 years for women.

4)   Employees State Insurance (ESI) 5 entitlements should be expanded to all informal workers.

5)   Pay minimum compensation of Rs.5,00,000 for accidental, deformity and death. 

This demand note is to be distributed across 3 states by NAAWU and other like-minded organizations, in South India and also across the country as a member of the National Centre for Labour. This is the translation of the Telugu pamphlet to be released and distributed in solidarity with like-minded organizations gathering in Senate Hall, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati on the 18th of November.

Thereafter, the memorandums will be submitted to all political parties to incorporate into their election manifestos

Solidarity organizations:

APVVU, TVVU, KVVU,

Republican Party of India

Bhu Samskaranala Karyacharana Udyamam

National Center for Labour - NCL