PEASANT struggles in our areas of work in this district have mainly revolved round the issues of (i) rehabilitation of, and compensation and employment for, displaced persons, (ii) minimum wages, (iii) social oppression, (iv) police repression, and in some cases, (v) land and crop. The targets of such struggles have been a varied lot : management of the Central Coalfields Limited, Cantonment Board, contractors and their goondas, landlords and rich peasants, and police officials. And as for forms of struggle, demon­strations, armed militant gheraos, strikes, etc. have been the major ones.

In 1982, in one area there took place a militant peasant movement against displacement. The Cantonment Board wanted to take over a large part of peasants’ agricultural land — hundreds of peasant families were thus threatened with displacement. Peasants were mobilised to resist this move, they dismantled the tent and also ploughed a sports ground which had been illegally captured by the Cantonment Board. Later, a militant demonstration was also staged against the proposed take-over bid. Alongwith these agitational programmes, legal possibilities were also explored and necessary measures adopted. Ultimately, the Board officials were forced to withdraw the displacement notice.

In one area, a rich peasant had been controlling a plot of adivasi land for more than 10 years. Our mass organisa­tion mobilised 300 peasants and seized the crop of that rich peasant. His bullock cart was also seized. The landlords in the area summoned the police, but the village women prevented them from entering the village. Subsequently a compromise was worked out and the bullock cart was returned to the rich peasant.