SHIMLA: The large number of farmers from 27 different farmers bodies under the banner of Syunkt Kisan Manch(SKM) on Wednesday marched from The Ridge and sat on dharna for hours as aprt of the Jail Bharo Andolan launched in support of the 20-point charter of demands pending before the Jai Ram Thaku’s government for implementation.
The agitated farmers defied section 144 which is always in force on The Mall and sat on dharna for two hours.
The dharna was led by SKM convener Harish Chauhan, co-convener Sanjay Chauhan, Theog MLA Rakesh Singha, president of Himachal Kisan Sabha Dr Kuldip Singh Tanwar and other representatives from 27 organisations of farmers.
As the police resorted to action there followed scuffle between the police and farmers.
Large number of farmers included elders, youth, women defied the section 144 as a part of the Jail Bharo Andolan in support of their long pending 20-point demands.
Later the farmers were taken to the Balu Ganj police station where they staged protest shouting slogans against the Jai Ram Thakur government, reiterating their 20 points demands.
They said they had given 10 days time to implement the demands to the committee constituted by the Chief Minister headed by the chief secretary RD Dhiman.
But nothing has been done so far as the government is not bothered. The farmers have to resort to protest in the middle of the apple season, SKM leaders charged.
SKM charge that the farmers have to take to the streets as the government has given a free hand to the traders, commission agents and corporates like Adani, who are exploiting the farmers due to the indifferent attitude of the government.
The traders are making money while the farmers are find it difficult to meet their ever increasing cost of production, SKM resented.
Chief Minister had a meeting with farmers on July 20th and constituted committee under the Chief Secretary to address the SKM’s 20- point charter of demands.
The apple should be bought per kg and Grade A apple, B and C should be procured at the rate of Rs 60, 44 and Rs 24 per kg under the MIS scheme.
APMC Act should be implemented in all Mandis and the farmers should get payment on the same day for their sold fruit, SKM demand.
But they was not even a single a single representative from the SKM. The announcements remained hollow so far, they charged.
HPMC and HINFED have not cleared the pending dues, farmers are not getting the six per cent GST back and GST was not reduced to six percent despite BJP had its government at the Centre and state, SKM charged.
Harish Chauhan said that Adani Agri fresh has opened rates for procurement of apples directly from the farmers on August 13, but the committee was notified in the back date and nobody from the SKM attended the meeting when the rates were decided.
Harish Chauhan charged that Sanjay Chauhan has been made the member of the committee, but he got the information on WhatsApp around 11:00 o’clock in the night.
Chauhan said the government has been dictated by the corporate-traders nexus, while the farmers have been getting the raw deal over the years.
SKM warned that the farmers are being forced to intensify the agitation as they had done in 1990 and 1987 in the past.
