10-day farmers strike begins in 7 states, to impact prices
Thousands of farmers from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana on Friday started a 10-day nationwide strike demanding waiver of loans, right price for their crops and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
The protests were also called to mark the first anniversary of the Mandsaur demonstration in Madhya Pradesh, in which six farmers were killed in police firing.
Result: Fresh produce from farms and thousands of litres of milk ended up on streets as part of the protest. The farmers have also shut down the supply of milk, vegetables and essential farm produce due to which the prices are bound to go up.
The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, a federation of 130 farmer organisations, which is spearheading the protests, made it clear that they will not supply any vegetables and dairy produce to the cities for the next 10 days. Also, though farmers won't block any roads, they will sit on dharna along 30 major highways in the country. They will also observe a Bharat Bandh on June 10 till 2 pm.
On Day 1 of the strike, there has was no supply at all in Punjab, except in Amritsar. In Haryana, the supply had diminished by 4050 per cent. Milk supply is fully shut in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Jhunjhunu. In Indore, prices of vegetables have gone up by 400 per cent and in Bhopal prices are up by 7080 per cent. Only three trucks reached Nashik mandi which gets 300 trucks of produce in a day.
"This has now become a nation-wide agitation. We have named the protest 'Gaon Bandh,' ’’ said a spokesperson of the farmers’ body.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was in Bhopal on Thursday, dubbed the farmers' agitation as an agitation of the Congress party, according to IANS. "The BJP government in the state is working for the welfare of farmers and it has taken several big decisions in their interest," he said. Trashing the charge, newly appointed state Congress chief Kamal Nath said it is surprising that those who ordered firing at the farmers are now trying to shift the blame for the violence on his party.