CPI (M) and AIKS celebrate 75 years of tribal revolt in Maharashtra

The CPI(M) and the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Saturday celebrated 75 years of the Warli Adivasi revolt by hoisting red flags atop houses in villages in Thane district of Maharashtra and other parts, the organisations said.

According to a statement, on this day in 1945, a convention was held at Zari village in then Umbargaon (now Talasari) tehsil of the district, where AIKS leaders Shamrao Parulekar and Godavari Parulekar had given a call to overthrow the "hated feudal system of bonded labour and marriage slavery that was rampant for the one hundred years then".

Within a few months of the Zari convention, bonded labour and marriage slavery was abolished by the adivasis (tribals) themselves through their unity and struggle led by the AIKS, the statement said.

It said the struggle had also raised the issues of wages, forest and land rights, and later water, food, employment, education and health.

The revolt also had its echo in other districts like Nashik, Nandurbar, Ahmednagar, Pune, Nanded, Yavatmal and elsewhere, it said.

"Today, the sterling contribution over the last 75 years of hundreds of leaders, thousands of activists and 64 adivasi martyrs is being hailed all over the state by hoisting flags observing social distancing during the times of novel coronavirus," AIKS leader Ashok Dhawale told PTI over phone.

The AIKS said it will hold demonstrations on May 27 against the Narendra Modi government over its "failure" in reaching out to the poor amidst the COVID-19 crisis. PTI ENM NSK NSK