Enraged at farm fire FIRs, farmers to hold statewide protest on Oct 28

The Haryana state committee of the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has strongly opposed the policy of holding farmers responsible for pollution and registering FIRs against them for stubble burning.

Kisan Sabha activists will stage protest demonstrations across the state on October 28 against the latest action against farmers. A decision to this effect was taken at a state-level meeting of the sabha organised at Rohtak on Thursday.

Informing about the decisions taken at a recent national-level meeting of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), AIKS national finance secretary P Krishna Prasad said nationwide protests would be held in all districts on November 26, which marks the completion of four years of the farmers' Delhi March movement, to give a three-month warning to the Central Government to ensure the provision of a legal guarantee of MSP, loan waiver and the construction of martyrs' memorial.

"If the said issues are not resolved, a big nationwide movement will be launched," said Prasad, adding that the strategy to decide the future course of action would be made in coordination with the SKM.

"The protests are also meant to press for timely purchase of farmers' produce, ensure adequate supply of fertilisers and address other concerns of the farmers," said Balbir Singh, the state president of the sabha, who chaired today's meeting.

AIKS national vice-president Inderjit Singh and other senior leaders of the sabha attended the meeting.

Problems being faced by the farmers in the state were discussed during the meeting. "The BJP government has been repeatedly announcing that the farmers' produce is being purchased at MSP, but in reality, the farmers are being forced to sell their paddy, peanuts and moong produce below MSP," the sabha maintained.

Participants in the meeting pointed out that sometimes deductions are made on the pretext of moisture, sometimes citing quality, due to which farmers have to bear losses.

"The crop-loss compensation to be provided by the Revenue Department as well as insurance claims made under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) are also pending," lamented the farmers.

The results of the recent Assembly elections of Haryana were also reviewed at the meeting. The Kisan Sabha maintained that the BJP leadership cannot claim that the public opinion was in its favour as nearly 60 per cent of voters had voted against the party.