SSP discords over the issue of land revenue exemption, pushes farmers and agricultural workers against the Singh ministry

Sep - Oct 1967

The SSP, which was SVD’s second-largest constituent and ideologically left-leaning, demanded that the government enforce land revenue exemption for the coming kharif season post-haste. The revenue minister affirmed that this would happen in the rabi season, but going through with the policy now would significantly hurt the ex-chequer, especially given the floods that had affected most of the state. The other parties in the coalition were also incensed at them having approached the press with this matter rather than the Coordination Committee. The SSP nevertheless persisted, giving the government an ultimatum of October 2 to abolish land revenue. It also pressed its workers and kisans to start holding demonstrations against the government. The Swatantra Party’s national executive meeting in Madras had also urged its members to withdraw from the government, but the State executive still dissented and stayed on. On October 12, five SSP and two CPI ministers tendered their resignation citing the lack of concession on the land revenue decision and the non-release of detained government employees. To the Jan Sangh, this seemed politically motivated as the SSP, which was not a part of the cabinet, had been pushing for extreme measures or threatening to dissolve support. The detente was resolved by the Jan Sangh’s proposal of putting into place an “Agricultural Research Fund” from which farmers could draw loans at nominal interest for agricultural purposes. SSP and CPI resignations were taken back as a result of the proposal.