Seeking justice for lakhs of farmers in Rajasthan, the Congress on Tuesday launched a “Kisan Nyaya Padyatra” from the Krishi Upaj Mandi in Baran demanding a blanket crop loan waiver.
The march will traverse about 100 km in south-eastern Rajasthan and culminate in Jhalawar, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s home turf.
Thousands of farmers, who attended the rally in Baran, declared that the “package” announced by the government following the farmers’ recent agitation in Sikar was not acceptable to them. The State government has only appointed a committee to see if it can grant a waiver of loans up to ₹50,000.
Pradesh Congress president Sachin Pilot will lead the padyatra in the Hadoti region in the next three days. AICC secretary Tarun Kumar and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Rameshwar Dudi would be accompanying him. Other State leaders and AICC functionaries will join at various points on the way.
Addressing the rally, Mr. Pilot said though the Hadoti region had reported the highest number of suicides by farmers, no government representative had met their families or provided any relief. “Only yesterday, a debt-ridden farmer in Bundi district killed himself after his paddy crop was destroyed. This shows that the peasants have no faith in the government's committee.”
Mr. Pilot said no other State government had formed such a committee. Moreover, not a single representative of farmers had found a place in the panel.
“Our struggle will continue until a complete farm loan waiver is announced. We will not let the [ruling] BJP to postpone the waiver announcement till the Assembly elections, because that will amount to reaping political advantage of the issue. Farmers are dying because of the government’s insensitivity,” he said.
Mr Pilot added that other demands included fixing of MSP at levels 50% more than the weighted average cost of production, payment of bonus for all agricultural produce and bringing all crops within ambit of MSP. “It is most unfortunate that the BJP government has reduced subsidy on agricultural equipment, while the input costs have increased because of GST.”
The Congress’s mass contact programme for four days in the Hadoti region, considered a stronghold of BJP, assumes significance in the wake of success of the farmers’ agitation in Sikar being attributed to the CPI(M)-led All India Kisan Sabha.
