- Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union
Infobox Union
name= BKMU
country=India
affiliation=
members= 2.59 million
full_name= Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union
native_name=
founded=
current=
head=
dissolved_date=
dissolved_state=
merged_into=
office=
people=Nagendranath Ojha , general secretary
website=
footnotes=Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union (Hindi for 'Indian Land Workers Union') is a
trade union of agricultural labourers inIndia . BKMU is politically tied to theCommunist Party of India . BKMU is independent from both the main trade union central of CPI, theAll India Trade Union Congress , as well as the farmers' organisation of CPI, the All India Kisan Sabha.Around 5% of agricultural labourers in India are union affiliated. BKMU is one of the major unions working amongst them. By 1989 BKMU had a verified membership of 2 million. As per 1999, BKMU claimed a membership of 2.59 million. 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 andUttar Pradesh . [http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actrav/new/agsymp03/dwaa035.pdf]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. [http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/03/30/stories/2002033005420400.htm] , [http://www.cpindia.org/documents.htm]
BKMU demands government schemes for ensuring employments to agricultural labourers. In Andhra Pradesh, BKMU has joined hands with the rural labour wing of
CPI(M) , AIAWU, in occupying lands belonging to large landlords and distributing it to poor peasants. [http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actrav/new/agsymp03/dwaa035.pdf] , [http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/31/stories/2005083114980400.htm]The general secretary of BKMU is
Rajya Sabha MP Nagendranath Ojha. The national president of BKMU andLok Sabha MP from Punjab Bhan Singh Bhaura, died on January 3, 2004.
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