Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

We don’t need more Mandsaurs

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more than 2,000 farmers head to cities every day to make a living. Why are human rights bodies and those who shed tears about terrorism blind to their plight?

Let us analyse the farmers’ fury now. The outbreak of violence in Mandsaur was coming. The agitation began in Maharashtr­a on June 1 and the very next day spread to Madhya Pradesh. The problem with government­s is that instead of finding a long-term solution they treat farmers’ agitation as a law and order issue while taking decisions. If this wasn’t the case and people in responsibl­e positions not reacted childishly, those killed in Mandsaur would not have become victims of police firing. Until when will they keep the truth concealed?

There was a time when Ram Manohar Lohia brought down his own government after farmers were shot at. Since then the manner in which the attitudes of politician­s have changed is evident from the reactions in the aftermath of the Jantar Mantar and Mandsaur agitations.

No single politician or party but the entire power-hungry political establishm­ent should be held accountabl­e for this. That is why fires of dissatisfa­ction are raging in different parts of the country.

The time has come for New Delhi and state leadership­s to think seriously about this isssue. The police or paramilita­ry forces of independen­t India don’t look good firing on their own people. We don’t need more Mandsaurs.

 ?? PTI ?? Farmers pour milk on a road during a protest in Ahmednagar, Maharashtr­a
PTI Farmers pour milk on a road during a protest in Ahmednagar, Maharashtr­a

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