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Maharashtra
Unity elusive over cotton stir plan
By Arunkumar Bhatt
NAGPUR, DEC 8. The agitation for securing higher procurement price for cotton-growers from Monday,threatened by the Shiv Sena-BJP combine in Maharashtra with the support of the farmer leader, Mr. Sharad Joshi, can be a good challenge to the ruling Congress-NCP-led Democratic Front provided the agitators achieve unity of purpose.
The Opposition has threatened rasta roko (disruption of road traffic) in the cotton belt of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh. The farmer-leader, Mr. Sharad Joshi, has extended the support of his organisation, the Shetkari Sanghatana, to the agitation but not everybody is sure about his total involvement.
Political circles here believe that both the sides are out to hijack each other's programme with an eye on the farmers' constitutency when none of them is under any illusion about the State Government's ability to pay. For the Congress it could not have come at a worse time,for the State's kitty is empty and zilla panchayat elections are not far off.
While the Shiv Sena-BJP combine is more interested in cornering the Congress that had promised the payment of Rs. 2300 a quintal in the monsoon session of the State legislature, Mr. Joshi's stake is in reviving his earlier position among the farmers. So, while extending the support, he has added several other issues, including deferring of the collection of farmers' power bills and bank loan repayment instalments.
Mr. Joshi's long march to Nagpur is to demand immediate payment of the support price to the farmers as against the government's practice of paying 80 per cent immediately and the balance in two equal instalments before the next season.
The Opposition had held the State legislature to ransom for two days after the commencement of its winter session here, demanding the rate of Rs. 2300 per quintal of cotton and immediate payment of at least Rs. 1875, the support price announced by the Union Government. It just wanted the government to say that it would not pay the support price now and the promised Rs. 2300 later but the government would not commit either way and insisted on no `statement sans debate.' As the Shiv Sena-BJP remained on their feet, the Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, met Mr. Joshi then about 40 km from the city and hammered out a deal with him.
Mr. Joshi has launched and led many an agitation for the farmers but is not known for taking one to its logical conclusion. He compromises. So Mr. Deshmukh had no difficulty bringing him round. Next day, Mr. Joshi agreed for immediate payment of 90 per cent and the balance by the financial year-end. This took the wind out of the sail of the Opposition which had to quickly call off its stir in the house stating that it had decided to participate in the proceedings being a ``responsible'' opposition. But then, sensing that Mr. Joshi had not been able to secure any gain for the farmers, they found scope for the agitation outside the House.
They had, obviously, not anticipated such a deal by Mr. Joshi who had called off his agitation but continued his march to Nagpur. The BJP leader, Mr. Gopinath Munde, announced that with or without Mr. Joshi's support the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance would launch the movement for the farmers.
Mr. Joshi reached here yesterday. He not only extended his support to the agitation but even expanded its scope stating, ``the battle for justice'' had begun then and denying that he had called off his 26-day long agitation. But to do that he used a BJP platform. The saffron party had held a reception to welcome Mr. Joshi and his supporters.
Mr. Joshi called upon the farmers not to pay their electricity bills and resist the electricity board staff if they came to disconnect the power supply. He advised the farmers not to pay their loan instalments. While stating that the aim of the agitation now was to make the farmers ``debt-free,'' he said that the government should defer collections of all dues from the farmers until they became competent in the global market.
To include the sugarcane-growers in the agitation, Mr. Joshi said that the sugar factories should pay Rs. 1000 per tonne of cane and alleged that some factories were willing to pay so much but the government had instructed them to pay only Rs. 560 per tonne. But this does not mean that Mr. Joshi has allied with the Shiv Sena-BJP. He has kept his options open. For he sharply criticised his hosts. The BJP demands the price of Rs. 2500 for cotton but would forget about it if was returned to power. Similarly, the cooperative sugar mills controlled by the BJP leaders do not pay the just price to the growers, he complained.
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