The farmers are demanding immediate implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation on minimum support prices; the price at which the government procures milk from them to be fixed at Rs. 27 and a one-time loan waiver.
MUMBAI: Farmers from seven states Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have intensified their protest for three demands.
First, a complete waiver of loans, second, a minimum support price for their crops and third, an affirmation from the government for a guaranteed minimum income scheme.The farmer’s association Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh has named this rouse as “Goan Bandh”.
Visuals of farmers spilling gallons of milk in streets, dumping fruits and vegetables across roads and highways can be seen on several news channels and portals.India is predominantly an agriculture-based economy much dependent on monsoon.
Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh on Saturday said the 10-day farmer strike which started on Friday was a mere media gimmick.
The protests were called to mark the first anniversary of the Mandsaur demonstration in Madhya Pradesh, in which six farmers were killed in police firing.
Shiv Kumar Sharma, president of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, which is leading the protests, said, “More than 130 farmers organisations are with us. This has now become a nationwide agitation.
The strike will intensify over the next few days as farmers will not send their produce for sale. Pune, Sangli, Kolhapur, Nashik, Jalgaon, Parbhani, Latur are going to be the most affected districts.
As part of the protest on 1 June, farmers will take their cattle to the tehsil offices to draw the BJP-led state government’s attention to their issues.
