Farmers in five states of the country are on 10-days strike from Friday, demanding land reforms and free power supply for pumps, loan waivers, to redress the ongoing agrarian crisis in the country. On Friday farmers stopped the supply of vegetables, milk, fruits and necessary items to different cities of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
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A top officer bearer of Bhartiya Kisan Union said that they are getting a good response from the farmers of different parts of the country. A number of places in different states farmers have stopped supplying vegetables, milk and other essential items to the cities for sale.
The response is spontaneous and no farmer is being for forced by not to supply the items to cities. This is the reaction of the farmers showing the government’s failure to address their problems.The farmers have taken the decision to stop supplies from Ist June to 10th June under the banner of Kisan Ekta Manch and Rashtriya Kisan Maha Sangh.
The decision to go into strike was taken in a meeting of the coordination committee of these two farmers’ organisations last month. Under these two farmers organization, there are around 172 farmers sub-organizations. As a part of the agitation, the farmers have launched “Gaon Bandh” (village shutdown).
During the strike, farmers will not sell their products in cities but they will sell their products in their village and other villages. An office bearer of the Kisan Ekta Manch claims that the agitation has spread to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
He also says that their demands are very genuine but the central government has not been addressing their number of issues pertaining to their low income, increasing number of farmers’ suicides, implementation of Swaminathan Commission report and waiver of farmers’ debt etc.
It is reported that vegetable at several places of the Haryana and Punjab facing short supply as fresh supplies did not come in the market. Consumers have started purchasing vegetables in bulk in the wake strike and prices are feared to go skyrocketing high.
Reports are also coming from some places in Punjab where farmers even threw vegetables and milk on road in a symbolic protest. If the government don’t address this nationwide strike against alleged anti-farmer policies BJP’s prospect in the next national election 2019 seems dim feels political observers.
