Maruthi Manpade, State president of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), held the Union government responsible for falling prices of farm produce in the domestic market and resultant agrarian crisis.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, he criticised the government’s import policy by terming it “anti-farmer.” He held that India’s imports are not based on domestic requirement and production, but on pressure from international and domestic capitalists.
“Our import policy was designed for safeguarding the interests of both domestic and international capitalists and not of domestic farmers. For instance, of the 24 lakh tonnes of pulses that India needs for a year, 20 lakh tonnes are domestically produced. We should import only four tonnes. However, our government imported 20 lakh tonnes last year and 10 lakh tonnes this year. This will surely cause price crash of pulses in the domestic market as there is an overstock of pulses,” he said. He said that though 2016 is being observed as International Year of Pulses, the Centre was “tightening the noose” around pulses growers.
Loan waiver
Referring to the loan waiver issue, Mr. Manpade attacked the Centre for turning down the demand of farm loan waiver and offering unreasonable financial favours to the corporate sector.
“Narendra Modi government has made Rs. 7.33 lakh crores worth tax favours to corporate companies apart from waiving off 1.63 lakh corporate loans. But, the government never thought of waiving farm loans which does not cross Rs. 2 lakh crore,” he said.
Farmers’ suicides that began during the tenure of P.V. Narasimha Rao had crossed three lakh over the last two decades and may cross 10 lakh within five years, he felt.
“We will actively support and participate in the all-India general strike called by trade union conglomerate by putting forward farmers’ demands,” he added.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha State president Chamarasa Malipatil was present.
