Farmer organisation to hold protest in Delhi on Nov 29-30 – The Financial Express

Ahead of its protests here, an umbrella organisation of farmer bodies on Tuesday warned the Narendra Modi government that failure to address issues raised by farmers will cost the BJP votes in the 2019 general elections. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), which claims to be spearheading a march of 207 farmer bodies across the nation, has announced a protest in the national capital on November 29-30. “Despite PM Modi’s recent statements that he had taken initiatives to solve farmers’ distress, the issues remain. For this betrayal, farmers will give Modi government and the BJP a befitting reply in 2019 election”, Ashok Dhawale, president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said at a press conference.

He alleged that the government had “no interest in solving the problems of farmers who were severely hit due to demonetisation”. “Note bandi ka jawab, kisan vote bandi se denge (farmers will respond to Modi government’s demonetisation decision by not giving their vote to it)”, said Dhawale. The AIKSCC has demanded holding of a special Parliament session to discuss all issues relating to agrarian distress in the country and passage of two Bills which have already been tabled in both the houses as Private Members’ Bills. The two bills are ‘Farmers’ Freedom From Indebtedness Bill, 2018′ and ‘ Farmers’ Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices for Agricultural Commodities Bill , 2018′ to ensure liberation from debt and remunerative prices of agricultural products, it said.

Prativa Sindhe, general secretary of Lok Sangharsh Marcha (LSM), a farmers’ body which carried out a march from Thane to Mumbai in Maharashtra, alleged that the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission are yet to be implemented by successive Union governments. Rajaram Singh, general secretary of All India Kisan Mahasabha, said that agrarian distress has led farmers to commit suicide in recent years. “To divert the issue of suicide by farmers, which has risen alarmingly in the country, the Modi government had stopped publishing NCB record on farmers’ suicide,” Rajaram alleged.

The National Crime Records Bureau has stopped publishing farmers suicide data from 2015, he claimed. Leaders of all non-BJP political parties have ben invited for the November 30 rally at Parliament Street. The chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar have also been invited for the meeting, the AIKSCC leaders said.

Source: Farmer organisation to hold protest in Delhi on Nov 29-30 – The Financial Express