The All India Kisan Sabha(AIKS)-led Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced that it would lead yet another nationwide agitation from June for tenant farmers’ rights and to sensitise them on the need for raising their voice for implementing the minimum support price (MSP), seeking loan waiver and State/Central government procuring the produce.
Addressing a seminar on “Agricultural crisis-farmers’ movements” here in Anantapur on Sunday, AIKS national president Ashok Dhawale said that an action plan would be prepared during the next meeting of the SKM this month.
Listing out the organisation’s demands, he said focus should be on seeking minimum support price for all produce at 1.5 times the production cost, loan waiver, rollback of diesel, petrol prices, comprehensive crop insurance, agriculture credit at 0% interest, involvement of agriculture labourers in MGNREGS works and guarantee 200 days of work.
Speaking on the struggles of farmers, he said at a time when the MSP for paddy was fixed at ₹1,950 per quintal, the maximum price that farmers in Andhra Pradesh got was between ₹900 and ₹1,200 a quintal. This was due to not implementing the MSP for any crop, including groundnut and horticulture ones.
Taking strong exception to the State government’s decision to fix energy meters to agricultural power connection, he termed the government’s offer to pay the amount on behalf of the farmer a ploy to trap them.
“If the Bharatiya Janata Party government can waive off 11 lakh crore of corporate loans, why not clear those of poor farmers,” he questioned.
Blaming the BJP government for selling Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, worth ₹30 lakh crore, to Adani at ₹13,000 crore, he said a similar attempt is being made to siphon out the profits of Life Insurance Corporation by selling its stocks.
He said the YSR Congress Party and Jana Sena Party were friendly with the ruling dispensation at the Centre for their own personal gains. He asked the people and farmers not to fall in the trap of the YSRCP again and reminded them of how it had not come to their rescue during the last year’s unseasonal rains by not paying any compensation.
