SHIMLA/ROHRU: Thousands of apple growers including women and youth  on Wednesday staged a massive protest at Rohru and vowed that they would gherao the Himachal Pradesh Secretariate  in Shimla on August 5 if their 15 demands are not accepted in a 10-day time.

The apple famers also staged protest all the apple belt in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba against the increase of  GST on packing material.

Shouting anti-government slogans and carrying banners, the agitated farmers reiterated their 15-point demands memorandum and submitted it to the state government for the 10th time today.

They have been demanding  the support price under market intervention scheme (MIS)  on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir- Rs 60 per kg for Grade A apple, Rs 44 per kg for Grade B apple and Rs 24 per kg for Grade C apple.

The support price for three-graded apples under MIS   is crucial to save the Rs 5500 crore apple economy that supports over 10 lakh families in Himachal Pradesh and give indirect employment to lakhs of people round the year in time when joblessness stares in the eyes of youth. 

The farmers’ anger  is pronounced and  justified as even in midst of apple season, they are forced to take to streets to ventilate their demands and pains.   Their anger was ventilated after they burnt effigies of the government in protest. 

The state government has been increasing pension, wages, DAs and salaries of the Sarkari babus including MLAs and MPs almost three times since the last 20 years.

But the state government has been backtracking on the genuine demands of the farmers, what to talk of doubling their income.

The government has been playing a rude jock on farmers including mango, galgal and Citrus growers by increasing minimal Re one per kg in support price over the years, rued the members of Syunkt Kisan Manch.     

In view of the recent surge in input cost of pesticides, the packing material and fertilisers and labour, apple farming is becoming a losing enterprise for the majority of small and marginal farmers.

They have small holdings and they solely depend on apple production every year for their bread and butter. The apple economy is tottering due to the doubling of cost of production over the years while the government remains indifferent.  

As many as 22 different organisations of the apple farmers representing all the parties including BJP, Congress, CPM and non-party groups of farmers have joined hands.

They have come under the banner of the Sayunkt Kisan Manch (SKM) red-flagging their anger and pain to the Jai Ram Thakur government once again today.

"We have given 10 days time for the government, if they fail to address, SKM will gherao the Secretariate on August 5", Harish Chauhan asserted. 

Hot on the heels of last July protest, a massive congregation of the apple famers at Rohru today has once again knocked out the sleep of the Jai Ram Thakur government, considering that the state assembly elections are round the corner, just three to four months away.

What has shocked the apple growers is lackluster attitude of the state government.

The Sayunkt Kisan Manch has submitted 10 memorandums to the state government, flagging their demands for the last one year, said Harish Chauhan, Convenor, SKM, who has been a BJP worker for the last over 37 years.

But Chief Minister has not even bothered to invite the agitating farmers for the talks to listen to them, let alone accepting their demands, Chauhan lamented, while leading a broadside against the BJP government.

 Due to indifference of the government at time when the apple season has started and they have to monitor the quality of fruit in orchards, the apple farmers have to take to streets.    

Harish Chauhan said government has stopped the supply of subsidized pesticides, it instead increased GST on cartons by six percent to 18 percent.

The Government agency HPMC procured just   2 lakh cartons which is not even sufficient for a single area, what to talk of entire community of the farmers who need over 3 crore cartons in normal season, he said.

The farmers have not got payment for the apple HPMC and HIMFED have procured under the MIS for the last three years, said Sanjay Chauhan , co-convenor of Sayunkt Kisan Morcha.

The nexus of traders and arhtiyas has further compounded the woes of the growers as they are not getting payment even after months, Sanjay Chauhan said.  

President, Progressive Growers Association (PGA), which has also joined SKM,  Lokinder Bisht said the indifferent attitude  of the government towards the plight apple growers is disheartening.

“It is   causing resentment and anger, resulting in protests and demonstrations”, he said.

“If the government still fails to take notice,  then this agitation will grow further like the apple growers agitation in  1987 and 1990”, Bisht warned.

The government is going out and out to appease the employees and other sections, but it has left the farmers to feed for themselves, resented the farmers.

Addressing the farmers protest, President of Himachal Kisan sabha  Dr Kuldip Singh Tanwar accompanied by Theog legislator Rakesh Singha said apple growers are demanding support price for apples under Mandi Intervention Scheme (Market Intervention Scheme) on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir.

“At the same time, farmers are waiting to implement the promise made by Prime Minister Narender Modi to the farmers of Himachal before the 2014 general elections', he claimed.

He had promised to give minimum support price for the local products of the state, but there is no hope for them, he charged.

Dr Tanwar said  the prices of inputs used in agricultural products have become so high that farmers and Bagwans are not able to get back even the cost of their fruit.

Dr. Tanwar said if this is the attitude of the government, then the farmers will have to take the path of a massive movement once again against this “deceit and lies of the central government”.

He warned that the sacrifices of the farmers who were martyred during the farmers' movement would not be allowed to go in vain.  

He said NDA government and the Agriculture Minister have cheated the farmers by backing out in the Parliament by giving a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price.

This statement of the government has once again proved that it is anti-farmer, Dr Tanwar said.

The NDA government’s motive was only and only to break the farmers movement, he charged.  The government withdrew the agricultural laws and promised that a committee would be formed and legal status would be given to MSP, but NDA government is backtracking”, he said.