In an election season which has coincided with unprecedented heat and water stress due to monsoon failure, farmers across the board are unhappy over their issues being conspicuous by their absence in the political discourse panning out in the electoral arena.
In rural areas, the Congress is seen wooing the voters on five guarantee schemes coming as solace amid drought and the imperatives of “saving the Constitution”. The BJP and the JD(S) too have nothing to offer to farmers and are highlighting the general “pace of growth” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the ground, the farmers are struggling to save whatever they can of the drying crops, with no rain and no water in irrigation canals.
This forced a section of farmers to come together in Mysuru on Wednesday and put forth demands seeking emphasis on key issues plaguing the agricultural sector and environment. Kurubur Shanthakumar of the Federation of State Farmers’ Associations said that elections have become all about retaining power and key issues are not being addressed at all.
