Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union

BKMU
Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union
भारतीय खेत मजदुर युनियन
Founded29 September 1968 (1968-09-29), at Moga, Punjab
HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
Location
Key people
Gulzar Singh Goria (General Secretary)
N. Periyasamy (President)
AffiliationsAll India Trade Union Congress

Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union which translates to 'Indian Land Workers Union' is a trade union of agricultural labourers in India. BKMU is politically tied to the Communist Party of India (CPI). BKMU is independent from both the main trade union central of CPI, the All India Trade Union Congress, as well as the farmers' organisation of CPI, the All India Kisan Sabha.[1]

Around 5% of agricultural labourers in India are union affiliated. BKMU is one of the major unions working amongst them. The main areas of influence of BKMU are Kerala (where its state unit is known as 'Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Federation'), Punjab, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh (where its state unit is known as 'Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham'), Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.[2]

BKMU mural in Bhubaneswar

The 18th congress of CPI in Thiruvananthapuram 2002 decided to put priority to the reactivation of BKMU, and strengthen the influence of the party in rural areas. The report presented to the 19th congress of CPI in Chandigarh 2005 noted that some improvement had occurred, but that work was still to be done to build BKMU. The report cited lack of whole-timers working with BKMU.[3][4]

BKMU demands government schemes for ensuring employments to agricultural labourers. In Andhra Pradesh, BKMU has joined hands with AIAWU, the rural labour wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), in occupying lands belonging to large landlords and distributing it to poor peasants.[5][6]

The general secretary of BKMU is Rajya Sabha MP Nagendranath Ojha. The national president of BKMU and Lok Sabha MP from Punjab Bhan Singh Bhaura, died on 3 January 2004.

  1. ^ "75 Years of AIKS: A Saga of Glory".
  2. ^ "Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) (ACTRAV)" (PDF).
  3. ^ "The Hindu : CPI plans campaign to reactivate party". Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "What is Cpi". Archived from the original on 5 February 2006. Retrieved 2006-04-10.
  5. ^ "Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) (ACTRAV)" (PDF).
  6. ^ "The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : 150 days of work sought under job guarantee scheme". hindu.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2005. Retrieved 17 January 2022.

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