Centre has betrayed farmers after promising of ‘good days’: All India Kisan Sabha

AIKS joint secretary Vijoo Krishnan said the government’s promised minimum support price which would be more than 50% of the production cost of agricultural produce.

Vijoo Krishnan in Hyderabad on Sunday.

The Narendra Modi government that promises to usher in “good days”, has betrayed the farmers, the common man and the labourers to help the corporates loot the country, claimed joint secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Vijoo Krishnan on Monday.

Participating in a protest organised by farmers’ associations and labour unions as part of Bharat Bandh in Virudhunagar, Mr. Krishnan said the government’s promised minimum support price which would be more than 50% of the production cost of agricultural produce. However, it has enacted three farm laws that were against the interest of the farmers and the consumers.

While the production cost of garlic is ₹32 a kg, six farmers in Mansdsaur in Madhya Pradesh were killed in police firing when they protested against the offer of just ₹1 a kg for their produce.

Number of farmer deaths has crossed one lakh since 2014, he charged.

Mr. Krishnan said that the farm bills were brought in when the entire country, including farmers were suffering during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The farmers were suffering as they were denied MSP. While the government said the MSP for paddy was ₹1,868 a quintal, farmers in Bihar were forced to sell their produce for as less as ₹800 a quintal.

When workers were rendered jobless and without salary during the lockdown, the government brought in four labour codes that increased working time from 8 hours to 12 hours a day. Besides, the workers were denied right to form unions.

The Centre has removed paddy, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, onions and potato from the list of essential commodities so that corporates can legally hoard them and make profit by exporting them against the interest of the citizens, he alleged.

Despite the death of 650 farmers who were in a year-long protest in New Delhi demanding repeal of farm laws, the government has remained reluctant to resolve the issue.

The farmers have vowed to defeat the BJP in the election to the held for the State Assemblies of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand, he said.

Tamil Vivasayigal Sangam founder, O. Narayanasamy, spoke.

Over 100 farmers and workers were arrested when they tried to stage rail roko at Virudhunagar railway station.

Over 900 persons were arrested when they indulged in road roko in 17 places in Virudhunagar district.