Shoshit Shetkari Kashtkari Kamgar Mukti Sangharsh (SSKKMS) OR Mukti Sangharsh

An Overview

WHAT WAS IT?

The Mukti Sangharsh organized

small and medium peasants and the displaced industrial workers in the early 1980s in Sangli district which was affected by drought in 1982.

WHY?

There were scarcity

conditions due to uncertain rainfall, poor soil and small holdings.

AND SO
One of the leaders was Bharat

Patankar who with his wife Gail Omved and mother Indutai mobilized the peasants and workers under the employment guarantee scheme act of 1978.

A LA ANNA
Morchas and Dharnas

were organized to create an awareness regarding their rights.

THE DEMAND
The demand was that the

Economic Guarantee Scheme (EGS) be used comprehensively for the people to bring about sustainable agricultural development.

WOMEN POWER

An unusual feature of

this movement was that almost half of its participants and many leaders were women.

3 MAJOR ISSUES
It addressed gender

inequalities in division of labor and raised issues of corruption in the sugar cooperatives and exploitation of Dalits.

DEMAND FOR SOLUTION OF WATER PROBLEM

The MS stated that stone

breaking and road building did not lead to growth and a demand was made for a regional plan to construct small dams and tanks to solve the water problem.

ENVIRONMENT & PUBLEC INTERCONNECTED

The MS linked

environmental sustainability with public participation.

A PLATFORM FOR WOMEN

It started a Stri Mukti

Sangharsh in 1985 to develop feminist consciousness and involve male activists.

IT HELPED

This gave

women access to land and political power.

MULTIPLE ISSUES ADDRESSED

In fact this movement

did not have a single focus but was committed to multiple struggles for economic and social justice.

CONCEPT & ACTION

It incorporated concrete

material targets and broad ideological goals through direct action and political activism.

Thank You