Farmers to protest today over non-procurement of crops at MSP

The Haryana State Committee of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has accused the BJP-led government of penalising farmers, alleging that Kharif crops are not being procured at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at a time when cultivators and agricultural labourers are still reeling from the impact of the recent unprecedented floods.

Taking serious note of the issue, the AIKS has decided to hold state-wide protest demonstrations on November 10 following a call by the Haryana Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). The protests will press for immediate compensation for crop losses and the removal of stagnant water from fields on a war footing, the committee said.

The decision was taken at a two-day meeting of the AIKS held here, which concluded on Sunday. The meeting was presided over by Master Balbir, while AIKS national finance secretary Krishna Prasad and vice-president Inderjit Singh were also present.

“Besides these issues, we are demanding that the government release a white paper on the procurement scam, start MNREGA work and address the crop insurance irregularities affecting farmers in Bhiwani and Dadri,” said Inderjit Singh.

He further alleged that “the government appeared to be acting out of political vendetta, claiming that farmers and rural communities had not supported the BJP, which captured power through vote manipulation and other fraudulent means. It is now evident that this illegitimate and corrupt government has no concern for the livelihood issues of the people.”

Sumit Singh, state general secretary of the AIKS, said all district and block units of the organisation had been directed to burn effigies of the BJP government and demand its dissolution in view of alleged large-scale vote rigging.