The Kisan Sabha and Adivasi Struggles
in Thane District after 1947
Abstract: This article traces the history of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in Thane district, Maharashtra, after 1947, that is, after the Warli Adivasi revolt of 1947. It is based on oral narratives by AIKS activists and leaders and on secondary sources. After the Warli revolt, the AIKS in Thane district mobilised the people around issues of land, forests, water, wages, and other livelihood issues. The article documents and analyses the nature of this mobilisation, the demands raised by the AIKS, and the extent to which these demands achieved success. Our evidence suggests mobilisation was successful because the people posed continuous challenges to multiple forms of exploitation, by means of mobilisation by the AIKS on issues of Adivasi livelihood, and the initiation of welfare programmes through participation in local-level electoral politics.