Farmers warn of nationwide agitation
‘Farmers are suffering due to anti-farmer policies of the government’
NEW DELHI: After holding a two-weeklong protest march from Mandsaur to Delhi, protesting farmers on Wednesday warned the government of large-scale, nationwide agitation if their demands are not met.
The All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee concluded the protest march at Jantar Mantar but said that several such protest marches would be held in the future.
Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan said that the Mandsaur-Delhi Kisan Mukti Yatra was just “a trailer”. “Farmers are suffering due to anti-farmer policies of the government. There will be widespread protests across the country if the government does not take steps to ensure adequate price for agriculture produce and waive off crop loans,” he said.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana leader and MP Raju Shetty said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had come to power because of farmers’ support.
Shetty also raised the farmers’ issues in Parliament on Wednesday where he said: “You (BJP government) are in power because farmers supported you. If they decide, you will be sitting in the Opposition in 2019.”
Without taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name, he said: “We have given you a chance to speak from Lal Quila (Red Fort). If you fail to to work for farmers, then you must forget 2019.”
Referring to Mandsaur, he told the protesting farmers that it was for the first time in the history of independent India that shots were fired at farmers.
The protesting farmers were predominantly from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
Farmers like Vitthalrao Shelke from Ahmednagar of Maharashtra and Ramphal Kushwaha from Allahabad of Uttar Pradesh said they were suffering despite the loanwaiver announcement in their states.
“The government has decided to waive off loans of about Rs 1.5 lakh. However, it wants us to clear the remaining debt first to get the waiver benefit. If we had money to pay loan, why would have we asked for waiver?” Shelke said. Kushwaha said they were facing difficulties in arranging money for sowing, as his bank had not yet cleared his debt.
“Although Uttar Pradesh government made loan-waiver announcement long back, banks haven’t got instructions so far. We do not have money to buy seeds and fertilisers, though sowing season has started,” Kushwaha said.
Another farmer, Ashish Jhansi said that he had to sell his produce of potato for just Rs 2-4 per kg due to low demand in the market.