Farmers’ stir begins with stopping of supplies to cities
10-DAY STRIKE IN NORTHERN STATES DEMANDS LOAN-WAIVER AND RIGHT PRICE FOR CROPS
Protesting farmers dumped vegetables, milk and other farm produce on roads and blocked supplies to cities in several states yesterday as they launched a 10-day agitation to press their demands, including loan-waiver and right price for crops.
Farmer organisations also called for boycott of wholesale markets in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, leading to fears of shortage and price rise.
Farmer’s body Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh (RKMM) convener Shivkumar Sharma told reporters in Bhopal that the “Gaon Bandh” (village shutdown) stir is being held across 22 states.
Police have kept a close vigil in Mandsaur in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, where six farmers were killed in police firing during the farmers’ agitation on June 6 last year. “The cultivators have been asked not to come to the markets in urban areas to sell their farm produce, including milk,” Sharma added.
Nationwide strike
On the last day of the protest on June 10, the farmers’ bodies will organise a ‘Bharat Bandh’ (India strike), he said. Markets were also shut in adjoining Neemuch district.
The Mandsaur SP said no untoward incident was reported in the district so far.” Five companies ■ of the Special Armed Force (SAF) of MP police are keeping a vigil across the district,” he said.
The decision to stop supplies starting from June 1 till June 10 was taken by farmers under the banner of Kisan Ekta Manch and Rashtriya Kisan Maha Sangh.
A meeting of the coordination committee of these two farmers organisations, which claim to be representing 172 farmer outfits, was held last month to give final shape to the programme.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, Bhartiya Kisan president, Union (BKU), claimed good response from farmers in Punjab and other states.
“Farmers have stopped bringing vegetables, milk and other items to the cities for sale,” he claimed.
Rajewal claimed that not only in Punjab and Haryana, farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and some other states were also not selling their produce in cities.
At some places in Punjab, farmers dumped vegetables and milk on roads in protest.
“During the 10-day protest, the farmers will stay in their villages and will not go to cities for supplying their produce,” he said.
“However, they can sell their produce among villagers,” he said, adding that the first day of their agitation had been peaceful so far.
The farmer organisations have alleged that the central government has failed to address their issues pertaining to low income, farmer suicides and debt.