Farmers on warpath, launch 10-day strike

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New Delhi: Farmers of seven states stopped Friday the supply of vegetables, fruits, milk and other items to other parts of the country as part of a nationwide strike against alleged anti-farmer policies of the Centre. The farmers have launched a 10-day agitation programme to demand better prices for agricultural produce.
The strike was initially called by farmers in Madhya Pradesh to commemorate the first death anniversary of six of their kin who were killed in police firing at Mandsaur in June, 2017. However, it soon spread to the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
“We are getting very good response from fellow farmers for their support to this agitation. At majority of places in Punjab, farmers have stopped bringing vegetables, milk and other items to the cities for sale,” informed Balbir Singh Rajewal, president, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) in Chandigarh. The farmers have so much anger against the central government that they became a part of this agitation on their own,” he added.
The decision to stop supplies starting June 1 till June 10 was taken by farmers under the banner of Kisan Ekta Manch and Rashtriya Kisan Maha Sangh in Punjab.
“During the 10-day long protest, the farmers will stay in their villages and will not go to cities for supplying their produce,” Rajewal informed. “However, they can sell their produce among villagers,”
Similar reports emerged from neighbouring Haryana where farmers at several places stopped supplies to cities. “Farmers in Haryana are also supporting us and have stopped supplying vegetables, milk and other items,” said BKU Haryana president Gurnam Singh Chanduni. “We have also been demanding minimum income guarantee scheme, implementation of Swaminathan Commission report and waiver of farmers’ debts,” informed Rajewal.
In MP farmers have termed the strike as ‘gaon bandh’ during which they will not step outside their villages and go to cities and sell their products. “Farmers will not go to cities to sell their products. Instead the city residents will have to drive down and buy the goods,” stated Shiv Kumar Sharma president of the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh in Bhopal.
However, in spite of the strike being restricted to seven states prices of vegetables and milk is likely to soar all across the country and burn the pockets of the consumers. People in Odisha will also have their pockets pinched if the agitation and strike continue.