Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Farmers’ body calls for all-India stir on June 16

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

are an alarming number of farmer suicides in Madhya Pradesh, too, but the government doesn’t want to redress farmer grievances. a fast. The CM wasn’t sensitive enough to visit the families of those killed and apologise to them immediatel­y after the incident. Instead he went on a fast. Apki sarkar logon ko goliyon se bhoon de, apki sarkar logon ko hospital pahuncha de aur aap upwaas par baith rahe ho...Ye kya ho raha hai? Mazak? (Your government is gunning down people, it is sending people to hospitals and you [Chouhan] sit on a fast...What is happening? Is it a joke?)

The central executive committee (CEC) of the All India Kisan Majdoor Sabha (AIKMS) has called upon all units to organise protests on June 16 in support of the demands for waiver of all farming loans, electricit­y bills and profitable minimum selling price (MSP) of all crops at 1.5 times the cost of production as per Swaminatha­n Commission’s recommenda­tions.

Several other peasant bodies are also expected to hold highway blockades on the day.

Holding the Madhya Pradesh government accountabl­e and demanding arrest of officials responsibl­e for firing on and killing six protesting farmers in Mandsaur, AIKMS criticised the Bhartiye Kisan Sangh for betraying farmers by withdrawin­g from the agitation and the government for sending the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to fire on peasants.

“The main reason for agricultur­al crises is the BJP government’s desire, like earlier UPA, to serve the MNC and Indian cor- porate who sell high-cost seeds, insecticid­es, diesel, at very high rates and purchase cheap crops during harvest to impoverish the farmers. While the central government is considerin­g waiving the NPAs of corporate houses worth ₹6.7 lakh crore and every year it gives corporate tax relief of ₹6 lakh crore, it has denounced loan waivers for farmer even though 4 lakh farmers have committed suicide due to this policy,” said Ashish Mital, general secretary, AIKMS, in a communiqué issued on Wednesday.

The BJP and RSS are intolerant and insensitiv­e towards people who ask for accountabi­lity. “PM Modi had promised loan waiver and implementa­tion of the Swaminatha­n Commission’s report but it is crushing peasant dissent in blood,” he said.

AIKMS also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for delaying loan waivers till the budget in July and for failing to issue the next kisan credit card (KCC) loans.

A government should protect people’s life but here the protector has turned into perpetrato­r (rakshak ki bhakshak ban gaya)...

 ?? HT FILE/ARUN SHARMA ?? Congress leader Jyotiradit­ya Scindia.
HT FILE/ARUN SHARMA Congress leader Jyotiradit­ya Scindia.
 ?? HT FILE/MUJEEB FARUQUI ?? Police patrol the MhowNeemuc­h highway after a farmers’ protests in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.
HT FILE/MUJEEB FARUQUI Police patrol the MhowNeemuc­h highway after a farmers’ protests in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.

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