RAIPUR: Farmers in Chhattisgarh held a demonstration in the state capital on Monday demanding the implementation of Swaminathan Commission report on minimum support price, crop bonus and farm loan waiver.Chhattisgarh Pragatisheel Kisan Sangathan stated that the BJP had promised to increase the minimum support price on paddy to Rs 2,100 ahead of the Assembly election, and had also promised a bonus of Rs 300 for every quintal of paddy procured. However, none of these promises have been fulfilled.
“Owing to the callous attitude of the governments in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the resentment among farmers took a violent turn. So, the Chhattisgarh government should immediately begin a dialogue process on resolving the issues and crisis faced by the farmers before June 16. The state should not wait and let the farmers’ protest spiral out of control and turn violent”, Rajkumar Gupta, convener of Chhattisgarh Pragatisheel Kisan Sangathan told the New Indian Express. The farmers also demanded the waiving of their loans and the free power for irrigation pumps up to five horsepower (HP).
The Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, an association of 21 different organisations comprising farmers, trade unions and activists, was formed on Sunday to spearhead the agitation against the state government and also support the nationwide agitation on June 16.
“There will be rail roko and chakka jam (highway blockade) from 12 to 3 pm on June 16”, Gupta said. Another farmers’ organisation Chhattisgarh Sanyukta Kisan Morcha on Monday took out a candle march in solidarity with the farmers who were killed in the police firing at Mandsaur.
During a radio talk, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh had said his government planned to undertake a broad action plan to double the income of farmers of the state. In Kanker district of north Bastar, the outlawed CPI (Maoist) has come out in support of the agitating farmers in Madhya Pradesh and other states.
Farmers’ body to hold protest in Rajasthan
RSS-affiliated farmers’ outfit Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) on Monday announced that it would stage sit-in protests across Rajasthan on June 15 demanding minimum support prices for farm produce and a special assembly session to discuss farmer issues.
“We had convened a meeting of farmers and handed over a representation to the government last month demanding that a special session of the legislative assembly be called for one day to discuss farmers issue, but the government has shown no interest,” BKS general secretary Kailash Kangolia said.