The farmers’ movement is gaining momentum in Madhya Pradesh. State Agriculture Minister Adal Singh Kansana’s late night talks with the farmers proved to be inconclusive. Farmers have been sitting on strike since night. The protesting farmers say that they will continue to sit on strike until all their demands are accepted. Due to the farmers’ agitation, holiday has been declared in many schools in the capital Bhopal today.
Security has been tightened in Bhopal after the government’s talks with farmers failed. The farmers’ movement remained peaceful yesterday on Tuesday but now it seems to be reaching the decisive stage. Marching on foot from different districts of the state, farmers reached the capital and sat on strike on Narmadapuram Road in front of Barkatullah University. The farmers crossed 3 barricades installed by the police on the way, although there was no violence or confrontation during the entire movement.
Demand to increase the purchase of moong from the center
The main issue of the movement is 100 percent government procurement of moong and other pending demands of the farmers. The protesting farmers say that they will remain standing here until the state government takes the right decision on all their demands.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government has demanded from the Center to increase the target for summer moong purchase. The state government had sent a proposal to the Government of India on May 14 and July 3 to purchase 8.06 lakh metric tonnes of moong, but the target of only 4.54 lakh metric tonnes was passed for the state. According to the document, the state government has thanked the farmers on behalf of the Center for increasing the target, but also reiterated the request to increase the remaining target.
In the letter sent to the Centre, it has been said that this year the area of summer moong in the state has been 14.30 lakh hectares. The average productivity is estimated to be 1410 kg per hectare, and the total production is likely to be around 20.16 lakh metric tonnes. Whereas it is estimated that about 8 lakh metric tonnes of moong will be available in the state for purchase. Till now 3.47 lakh farmers have registered, but out of these only 82 thousand farmers have been able to purchase moong.
Farmers from many districts came with full preparation
The long preparation of the movement can be gauged from the fact that the farmers themselves were seen making dal-baati at the protest site. Farmers say that this movement will be completely peaceful, but there is no question of retreating until the demands are met.
In this movement led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the main demands of the farmers include 100 percent government procurement of moong, increasing the procurement quota, ensuring procurement of entire produce at support price, eliminating delays in procurement and payment, improving the e-token system for fertilizer distribution and fair compensation for crops affected by natural disasters as well as solving other problems related to agriculture.
Protest going on peacefully: Police
Farmer leaders say that due to limited procurement, a large quantity of moong is not being sold at the support price, due to which farmers are forced to sell the produce at lower prices in the open market. A foot march has been taken out from Narmadapuram to Bhopal regarding this issue.
On this matter, senior Madhya Pradesh Police officer Anil Sharma says that this demonstration of farmers is going on peacefully. No lathicharge of any kind has been done. The talks between the farmers and the government are going on and whatever their demands are, they are talking about them. At present there is no tension of any kind here. In order to avoid traffic jam, we have diverted the route.
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