A coordination committee of independent farmer organisations is gearing up to launch a Statewide indefinite agitation in protest against the anti-farmer polices of the Central and State governments.
The committee representing the Haritha Sena, All India Farmers’ Association, Farmers’ Relief Forum, Vayojana Karshaka Vedi, and Karshaka Purogamana Samiti has expressed solidarity with the nationwide hartal called by a group of farmer organisations on Sunday. In a release here on Saturday, Baby Zachariah and V.T. Pradeep Kumar, committee chairman and convener respectively, said that while many farmers in the country were committing suicide owing to financial burden because of the fall in prices of produce and lack of government help, huge amounts of money from the State exchequer were being spent for maintaining the luxurious lifestyles of government officials and politicians.
While the governments were imposing huge taxes on the farming community and not increasing their meagre monthly pensions, they were increasing the salary of government officials and members of legislative bodies without any constraints.
The leaders warned that they would intensify their agitations in the coming days if the government failed to protect the interests of the community.
They also demanded steps to write off farmer loans, raise farmer pension to ₹6,000 a month, and to ensure minimum support price to all farm produces. A free insurance scheme for all farmers has also been demanded. A meeting of the coordination committee to be held on Wednesday here would decide the course of agitation, they said.
