City folk step up for farmers
GUNJARGE, Dentist from Aurangabad
Gunjarge, who has pledged support to the farmers’ protest, says residents of urban areas can no longer pretend that the farm crisis does not affect their lives. “Food is our basic, and most important, need. We need a discussion on the farm crisis (in Parliament).”
‘Time for society to step in’
KOLU KOMASKAR, Auto driver from Dombivali
Komaskar was busy campaigning for the farmers’ cause on Friday, explaining the severity of the agrarian crisis to fellow auto drivers and commuters, and urging them to sign a petition of support. He persuaded a number of people to join farmers in Delhi next week.“The government is not taking their issues seriously, so we, as a society, need to support them. People in cities need to know their plight so they can help them,” he said.
‘Kisan and Jawan are together in this fight’
SATBIR SINGH, Former army man
Major General (retired) Singh, who is the chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Movement, said the government and people seemed to be forgetting the first part of the slogan “Jai Kisan Jai Jawan”. “After toiling in fields for us, farmers are committing suicide. This cannot go on. Farmers are going to Delhi to highlight their demands. Kisan and Jawan are together, and the government will have to listen,” he said.
‘We need to pressure govt’
BHARAT AMRUTRAO PATIL, Teacher in Pune
He has roped in several teachers to make people aware of the farm crisis. “The rural economy is in stress and farmers have been hit the hardest. Unless we talk, discuss and pressure the government, farmers’ ordeal will not end. Many teachers from Pune and Mumbai have pledged support to the cause. They have been holding meetings to popularise the march,” he said.
‘We have lost touch with rural reality’
P SAINATH, Activist and journalist
Sainath, the leading voice behind Nation for Farmers, said the initiative was aimed at re-establishing the lost connection between the middle class and farmers. “We have lost touch with fields and farmers. The solidarity shown by lawyers, teachers, artists and theatre personalities, among many others, is important to reconnect with farmers,” he said.
Bank staff raise funds for rally
DEVIDAS TULAJAPURKAR, Member of All India Bank Employees’ Association
The farming community relies heavily on banks, and the relationship is often tested by crop failures and extreme weather that cause losses to growers, making it difficult for them to repay loans. Tulajapurkar, who is supporting the rally, said there was an urgent need to sensitise banks and their employees about farmers’ problems and requirements. “For the first time, farmers have collectively raised issues. We have urged union members to donate funds for the rally.”
‘Our food production depends on them’
SUDHARAK OLWE, Mumbai-based photographer
Olwe, along with members of the Photography Promotion Trust, will share live pictures of the Delhi march on social media with the hashtag #photographersforfarmers. “I come from a farmers’ family in Vidarbha. Our food production depends on farmers and it’s important to support them.”
‘Bonds of solidarity are being forged’
JANHVI MITTAL, Delhi-based research associate
She has been contributing content to dillichalo.in, the online forum which is trying to drum up support for the farmers’ protest.”Many working professionals have come forward to lend their support to the Kisan Mukti March. New and interesting bonds of solidarity are being forged.”
‘I will march with farmers in Delhi’
BHAKTI GHATGE, college student
Many students from University of Mumbai, Delhi’s JNU and other campuses have volunteered for the cause. Bhakti Ghatge, a student of St Xavier’s College, is one of them. She will be walking with farmers next week. “I am trying to mobilise more students. We are nothing without farmers. If they are in trouble, we are all in trouble.”
No longer silent consumers
RALLY PLAN
♦ On Nov 29, farmers will gather at Ramlila Maidan. On Nov 30, they will try to march to Parliament Street.
♦ The organisers have identified four points where farmers arriving in Delhi can gather before the rally.
1 Sons of toil and their stir
Tens of thousands of farmers from across the India plan to converge in Delhi on Nov 29-30 for a massive rally to demand a special 21-day Parliament session on the nation-wide agrarian crisis (debt trap, suicides, falling prices).
2 Citizens’ movement
‘Nation for Farmers’, a forum of volunteers started by activist P Sainath, is uniting members of the middle and working class across India under the banner ‘Dilli Chalo!’, urging them to join the rally in the national capitalv. It has been organising awareness sessions to explain the farm crisis to city residents.
3 Over 4,000
No. of people who have signed the online petition supporting the Delhi rally
4 Urban revolt
Teachers, bank staffers, students, doctors, artists, former army men, cabbies and auto drivers have pledged support to farmers’ movement, signing Dilli Chalo! petitions and even posting video appeals to fellow citizens. Citizens have also been campaigning in neighbourhoods. /to rope in more volunteers.
5 Action forums
Visit dillichalo.in for details about the rally and how you can contribute. You can also sign a petition there. On Facebook, join the page Dilli Chalo! Nation for Farmers: Delhi Chapter. For updates about citizens’ involvement, visit the Twitter account@LongMarch-2Delhi.
Source: City folk step up for farmers
