All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU) of Vizakhapatnam district organised the rural masses in Anandpuram Mandal with the slogan of ‘land to the tiller’. But the landlords, with the connivance of revenue authorities and with the help of the courts harassed the activists of AIAWU by foisting false cases and by approaching judicial courts on every small issue. In spite of the difficulties, AIAWU has been able to fight against this onslaught.

Recently AIAWU and CITU district committees prepared a joint action programme of occupying the land by the poor dalits and other backward communities. On 6.4.99 about 150 activists of AIAWU and CITU occupied 40 acres of land in Gandigundam village and picked up cashewnuts and on 11.4.99, 300 activists of AIAWU and CITU occupied another 40 acres of land of mango and cashew gardens in Muccharla village. All these lands belong to poor people who are having land pattas with them. But the landlords grabbed these lands by paying very meagre amounts during starvation time and on some important occasions like marriage etc.

In all the 32 Panchayats of Anandapuram Mandal, this type of land grabbing had taken place. An impressive 'land struggle rally’ was conducted on 14.4.1999 throughout the Mandal. Over 100 industrial workers from Vizag Steel Plant on scooters joined the rally; shipyard, BHPV and Defence sector workers also participated in the rally, along with agricultural workers who came in 15 vans and lorries from Boimili and Gopalapatnam divisions. The land struggle rally created confidence among the dalit poor and other sections, who lost their lands to the landlords.

On 1st May 1999, at a public meeting at Pendurti on the occasion of ‘Mahila Janma Bhoomi,’ agriculture workers demanded the Chief Minister to arrest the land grabbers under the ‘Land Grabbing Act.’ But in his speech the Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu supported the land grabbers. Surprisingly, one of the big landlords, Peela Mahalaxmi Naidu was also on the dias. It revealed the class nature of TDP Government in Andhra Pradesh.

Under pressure of the struggle, the revenue authorities had no alternative except to agreed to conduct an emergency re-survey of the lands in Anandapuram Mandal and return the lands to the poor, as per ‘pattas’ held by them. Already 500 acres of land in different villagers are in various stages of processing for handing over to the poor villages. The joint efforts of AIAWU and CITU gained momentum and created greater confidence to fight for their lands and against the landlords.

During this period two schools, at Gandipuram and Muccherla villages, were conducted to educate the agriculture workers. 100 workers participated in each of the schools held for 2 days.

The AP State and Vizag District Committees launchedthis struggle as a practical way of building worker-peasant alliance. The struggle highlighted the role of the trade unions in extending solidarity to the struggles of rural poor.