Farmers leader Kurubur Shanthakumar addressing a meeting of farmers in Mysuru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Federation of Farmers’ Association of Karnataka has announced an indefinite hunger strike at Freedom Park in Bengaluru from December 6 in solidarity with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s fast unto death in Punjab to press for the farmers’ demands.
Making the announcement in Mysuru on Sunday, Federation president Kurubur Shanthakumar, who is also the president of Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Federation, said the agitation by the country’s farmers, which began on November 26, had entered the sixth day and the situation had become serious.
He called upon the Centre to invite the agitating farmers for talks and find a solution to save the country’s farmers.
Though the Punjab government had arrested the farmers before the start of the agitation on November 26, the authorities, bowing before the farmers’ resolve, released them and brought them back to the protest site, said Mr. Shanthakumar while claiming credit for the “power of the farmers”.
The Samyukta Kisan Manch (non-political) had launched an agitation demanding the implementation of the promised Minimum Support Price (MSP) Guarantee Act and fixation of the MSP as per the M.S. Swaminathan Committee report.
The other demands of the farmers include complete waiver of farm loans, implementation of a pension policy for farmers above 60 years of age and amending the Fasal Bima Crop Insurance scheme.
Mr. Shanthakumar, who is also the South India Convener of the Samkyukta Kisan Manch (Non-political), condemned the government for suppressing the farmers by arresting them like “traitors and thieves”.
Mr. Shanthakumar also said that awareness meetings for farmers about the issues will start in the State from Monday.
The awareness meetings will be held in Belagavi, Vijayapura, Raichur, and Yadagir to prepare the farmers for the struggle, he said.
Even though the Supreme Court-constituted high-powered committee headed by a retired high court judge had submitted its report, recommending the MSP Act, the Centre, instead of acting upon the report, was trying to suppress the farmers’ agitation, Mr. Shanthakumar said.
Even though Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a 16% increase in farm loans, the Centre had cut the grants to co-operative institutions through NABARD by 50%, which will affect the disbursal of interest-free agricultural loans to the farmers in the State, he alleged.
He called upon the MPs of Karnataka to lead a delegation to Centre and ensure that the Union government does not slash the grants to the State.
Published – December 01, 2024 07:53 pm IST
