Farmer agitation loses steam in Malwa

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, June 4

Nationwide agitation by farmers’ associations, which was supposed to voluntarily stop movement of essential commodities from producers to markets, seems to have lost steam in this part of the Malwa region. So far, the agitation has been unorganised. Milk and vegetables are easily available in the region and that too at much less rates.

Early hour blockades on roads connecting villages with towns, forcible shifting of milk and vegetables to religious places and arguments among protesters and vendors have become a routine affair in the area. It is basically hooliganism by unorganised groups of youths near vegetable markets and dairies.

Despite senior leaders of the protesting organisations appealing to activists of their respective outfits to avoid setting up nakas in cities, towns and adopting coercive or indecent tactics during demonstrations, overenthusiastic agitators don’t hesitate in annoying small-scale milkmen and vendors.

Office-bearers and activists of farmers associations demanding higher prices for their produce, including milk and vegetables, had laid nakas at entries of the town to stop vendors from bringing their produce to the market during the past three days.

While vegetable growers were asked to return with their produce to their fields, those carrying milk were made to ‘surrender’ it for organising ‘chhabeels’ at religious places or free distribution among passersby.

Nirmal Singh Dhaler, an office-bearer of the Kissan Sabha (Kaddian) said nakas were raised after vegetable growers and milk producers continued supplying their produce to traders and dairy owners. said Some milkmen had tried to interrupt their peaceful dharna at Jandali Bridge on Monday morning, said Dhaler.

Meanwhile, the police remained on toes to handle tense situation following confrontation among protesting farmers and vendors, besides dairy owners.The city SHO, Harjinder Singh, said policemen were advised to maintain law and order and prevent any coercive attempt of protesters by all means. “We are trying to control the situation by persuading confronting activists of farmer bodies. On receiving any information about altercation, we tell agitators to adopt peaceful means of protest instead of stopping people forcibly,” he added.