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Pi Bureau :
1-3 April, 2017, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh
The AIUFWP is going to hold its 1st National Conference from 1-3 April 2017 at village Nagalmafi, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. This Conference – first after the founding conference in Puri, Odisha in June 2013 – will aim to lay the organisational foundations of a politically mature organisation capable to take on the challenge which people face today in terms of securing its very life, livelihood, sustenance and dignity.
In the wake of the fading away of all traces of the post 2nd World War Welfare State, where corporate greed and its needs have taken over control of the function of the State, with the latter being pushed into playing the role of a mere appendage supplementing the design of “expropriation by dispossession”( in ways akin to the primitive accumulation of capital) model of deeply crisis ridden capital, people and organisations which fight along with people, face a situation of intensifying State led corporate attack on their very survival. Whether it is the attack on lives and livelihoods of people traditionally dependent on forests, on land, on water, on seas and oceans, people have been resisting valiantly and in the course of their localized struggles have realized the growing importance of coming together on a larger but common platform of joint resistance on a national scale. Even workers, mostly in the unorganized sector who have been fighting hard in their factories and workplaces are beginning to realize the necessity and importance of aligning with peoples movements. Displacement is a live issue for miners too. They have been uprooted/displaced; have lost land. Thus their fight for just share of wages, minimum wages and ensuring other benefits is not disconnected from fighting the struggle for displaced people. This realization along with the growing assertion of women- whether in garment factories or tea plantations or forest areas are some developments which indicate an emerging renewal in working people’s assertion. Only two options remain: Get Co-opted or To Resist. The illusions of golden “middle path” has been rendered irrelevant.
In such a situation the Union intends to not only strengthen its internal organisational capacity to be in the forefront of this decisive struggle, but also engage deeply with genuine peoples’ movements and working class movements across the country as well as at the epicentres of the global political churn like African, South American and South Asian countries. The Union ,since it’s inception has been engaged intensively in building credible and effective alliances with movement groups and organisations working towards protecting community rights over natural resources – both at national and regional levels . In the recent years AIUFWP has been involved in a broad coalition ‘Land Right Movement’, along with AIKS (All India Kisan Sabha) , AIKKMS, NAPM and many regional groups and organisation numbering more than 300 . This coalition has been successful in resisting the black ordinance on Land Acquisition which was brought unconstitutionally by the NDA government in December 2014 and the coalition is getting stronger, based on democratic principles of collectivism and inclusiveness, regardless of the size and strength of participating organisations. We are keen to extend this important experience in other sectors like forestry, fisheries and mining also and most importantly against forced displacement.
In these challenging but exciting times where the spaces of hope are again becoming visible through peoples’ resistances, women’s leading role in such resistances and building of alternative institutions, the Union invites you cordially as fraternal delegate to the National Conference to share your/your organisations experience.
The above press note was released by Ashok Chowdhury, General Secretary AIUFWP
