Six day workshop on cooperatives in agriculture

Mon, Mar 18, 2013 at 12:16 AM

Comrade A.B. Bardhan will give his opening remarks

Dear All

Joshi-Adhkari Institute of Social Studies invites you to attend the inaugural session of a six day workshop on "National and International experiences of Cooperatives in Agriculture." The workshop is being organized as a follow up of a primary survey of marginal farmers conducted by the institute in eight states of India. The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the possible role of cooperatives in bringing about a change in agrarian relations.

In the inaugural session veteran Communist leader A.B. Bardhan will give his opening remarks and the eminent economist Prof. Prabhat Patnaik will deliver the key note address on "Necessity of Cooperatives in the alternative development paradigm."

The workshop will begin with an analysis of agrarian crisis, a discussion on the question of land and water, and the necessity and feasibility of small farmers' collectives. This will be followed by a three day long detailed review of Indian experience of service and production cooperatives in agriculture and allied sector. In the next three days, experts from other countries would share experiences of their respective countries. The countries chosen for reviewing the international experiences are Spain from Europe, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa from Africa, and China, Vietnam and Nepal from Asia, and Venezuela and Cuba from Latin America.

Academics, scholars, and activists working in rural areas are coming to participate in the workshop. The participants are supposed to stay for the entire period of the workshop and think about the potential of cooperative structures to fight against agrarian crisis. The sessions will be interactive and followed by cultural programmes in some evenings.

Please do come.

Time               :           10.00 am to 12.30 am

Date                :           18^th March 2013, Monday.

Venue             :           Hindi Bhawan, 11, Rauz Avenue, On ITO-Bal Bhawan Road, Delhi.

Ajay Patnaik, Vineet Tiwari

Contact: 9811588100, 9818175205

Brinda Karat paid tributes to the martyrs

Northern Jatha Flagged Off from Jallianwala Bagh

The third of the CPI(M)'s Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha – the Northern Jatha – began its journey from historic city Amritsar today. Earlier, Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) paid tributes to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh before embarking on the Jatha.

The Jatha team was received at Jallianwala Bagh with warmth from hundreds of people assembled there from across the state. Led by Vijay Mishra, the coordinator for the Jatha in Punjab and member of the State secretariat of the CPI (M) Punjab, Brinda Karat laid a wreath at the Jallianwala Bagh memorial.
Davinder Singh Josh, son of Sohan Singh Josh, one of the founders of communist movement in Punjab, handed over the Jatha flag to Brinda Karat.
Addressing the media afterwards, Ms Karat said that the people of India are in search of a better alternative, which is completely different from the Congress and BJP who are representing corporate interests rather those of people. She said that the message of these Jathas is to invite the public to consider the alternatives that are being presented by CPI(M).
Replying to a question on “with whom the CPI(M) will fight the next elections”, she said that the party will be representing the people’s interests and will fight the elections for safeguarding their interests. She dismissed Modi’s claim that BJP is the only alternative to Congress. She termed both the Congress and BJP as two different sides of the same coin and when they are power in Delhi, they will toe the neo-liberal policies in the interest of foreign and national monopoly capitalist.
She expressed anguish about the condition of people living in border districts. She said that their sources of livelihood and opportunities are continuously under threat from the border disputes. She reminded the gathering about the history of Amritsar which was a centre for cross border trade till the border disputes set in and ousted lakhs of people.
Brinda Karat called up on the public to participate in the party’s Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha in big numbers and make success the March 19th public meeting that is going to be held in Delhi marking the culmination of the four nationwide Jathas.
Members of the Central Committee of the party, Hannan Mollah, Inderjeet Singh, Charan Singh Vridhi and Rajender Sharma, participated in this flag handing over ceremony. Memoona Mollah, Vijay Mishra and other leaders too were present.