The Pakistan Kissan Committee (PKC) has urged the government for immediate implementation of agricultural land reforms, by allowing 25-acres land limit to each family and distribution of 100-kanal agriculture lands among tenants and land-less farmers to end the cruel feudal system in the country. "The 23rd March Toba Tek Singh peasants conference would be the dawn of new era in Pakistan for downtrodden classes around the country", said PKC representative Muhammad Ali Bhara in a news conference here on Wednesday.
The producing classes are the only owners of Pakistan instead of forces of exploitation and fertile agriculture lands gifted to civil, military bureaucracy should be withdrawn from them and to be distributed among land-less farmers without charging cost. Bhara criticised increasing mark up rate on farm loans, levying sales tax on agriculture inputs, equipment, end of subsidy on agriculture tube wells on the pressure of World Bank, IMF and other foreign financial organisations to honour the WTO regime agreements.
The PKC has planned to hold peasants' conference on March 23rd in Toba Tek Singh to consider challenges of imperialism and multinational companies' conspiracies against farmers, he said. The major hurdle in the way of agriculture development is outdated feudal system and unabated avoiding from land reforms has been promoting peasants' exploitation in the country.
However, the TT Singh conference would be a milestone in the way of peasants' freedom from the clutches of dirty feudal system, he maintained. Bhara demanded the government to distribute government farmlands including seed farms, stud farms and military dairy farms among their hundred years old tenants.
While criticising increase in agri-inputs rates, he demanded the government to eliminate multinational companies' pressure on markets and reduce agri-inputs rates with reasonable prices for agricultural produces. Deploring over continuous water dispute, he asked the government for equal distribution of water among the four provinces on the basis of equal water allowance.
He also demanded removal of flat rate on water tax, which should be charged on cultivated piece of land.
He said the struggle against WTO would be accelerated in the country because WTO agreements would bring poverty disaster, promotion of unemployment and injustice in the society. While appealing progressive, moderate and democratic forces, Bhara asked them to join their hands in Toba Tek Singh peasants' conference to accelerate the struggle against oppressors.