Communist thrust

Vijoo Krishnan ( 46)

Acommon defining factor among all farmer unions irrespective of their political affiliation is the sheer mistrust of corporates and privatisation of agricultural markets — something core to communist ideology. And while his senior colleague Hannan Mollah, a CPI (Marxist) MP, is leading the talks with Amit Shah and company, Vijoo is on the ground, helping farmers understand the new laws minus the legalese. Vijoo explains that the coming together of around 40 farmer unions with millions of members wasn’t as spontaneous as it looks. “Since 2014, we have been working with various unions over the adverse impact of the land acquisition Ordinance and later through the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan to prevent it from becoming an Act. The coordination further strengthened after the Mandsaur firing on farmers when everyone came together to make farmers free from debt,” said Vijoo. He further strengthened his credentials as an efficient mobiliser by playing a critical role in the Mumbai long march of farmers in 2018, which put the then Bjp-led government in a spot. “When these laws were introduced as Ordinances in June last year, we held public meetings with farmers at 3,600 locations across India to explain their impact on them. Then we planned a nation-wide mobilisation. But farmers from Punjab took the lead. It is unprecedented.”

Vijoo, a native of Kannur in Kerala, is the youngest central committee member of the CPI(M) and general secretary to the party’s farmer union