Farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday stressed the need for launching another farmers’ struggle on the lines of the one staged in Delhi in for 13 months and called upon farmers to be ready for it.
Participating in a programme organised by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) to mark the 88th birth anniversary of its founder M.D. Nanjundaswamy in Bengaluru, Mr. Tikait said a campaign had become the need of the hour as the problems of farmers were far from over and their demands were yet to be met with.
He described Nanjundaswamy as a link between the northern and southern regions of the country though he did not know Hindi. It was Nanjundaswamy who created awareness among the country’s farm sector about the international policies related to agriculture and farm trade.
Mr. Tikait said all the farmers in the country, including those in Karnataka, were reeling under distress as the cost of production had increased while the returns from crops had dwindled.
Rural bandh
Speaking on the occasion, Ravivarma Kumar, member of the presidential council of the KRRS, said the sangha was planning to observe a rural bandh in Karnataka on February 16 as per the call given by the national unions of farmers’ organisations.
Expressing concern over the State not getting drought compensation from the Centre, he called upon farmers to wave black flags at the Central leaders during their visit to Karnataka till they give drought compensation. KRRS leaders Chukki Nanjundaswamy and Pachhe Nanjundaswamy were also present on the occasion.
