Apple growers using social media to garner support for protest

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 3

Apple growers are making extensive use of social media to garner support for their August 5 gherao of the Secretariat in Shimla. Videos of the orchardists and their families, including children and elderly, are floating on Facebook, in which they are seen highlighting the challenges the apple industry is facing and urging fellow orchardists and farmers to make the August 5 protest a massive success.

“We are getting videos from all apple growing districts and all these videos are being uploaded on to the Facebook page of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch,” said Praveen Mehta, one of the orchardists managing the SKM Facebook page.

“The videos are receiving a lot of ‘likes’. One such video got over three lakh ‘likes’. This shows the message is spreading far and wide and people are connecting with the movement,” said Mehta.

Some people settled abroad from the apple growing areas have also posted videos to show their support for the cause. “It’s great that people have risen above their political affiliations to save the industry. It’s our responsibility that we pass on the industry to our coming generations in good shape,” said Vikram, who’s settled abroad.

The apolitical nature of Sanyukt Kisan Manch is perhaps its biggest strength. Orchardists affiliated to various political parties have joined it to raise the apple-related issues. SKM convener Harish Chauhan is a long-time BJP worker, co-convener Sanjay Chauhan is a CPM leader and Sanjeev Thakur, president of the Chuwara Apple Valley Society, one of the main components of SKM, is affiliated to the Congress.

“We check all videos before posting it on the page to ensure it doesn’t carry any political overtones. We request people to omit the part which we feel can hurt the apolitical image of the movement,” said Mehta.

Harish Chauhan, SKM convener, says the social media campaign has given the movement a huge boost. “The short and sharp video clips we are posting are making people aware of the problems the apple industry is facing. The youth has realised that their future is at stake and hence they are driving the movement in digital space as well as on the streets,” said Chauhan.

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