Delegation sent to Bihar to muster support for stir

Vishav Bharti
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 21

In a bid to unite farmers from across the country against the three agri laws, union leaders decided to send delegations to states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

BKU (Ekta) leader Gurnam Singh Charuni, who led a delegation to Patna today, said their movement against the contentious laws could be successful only if farmers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar joined them.

“The MSP system was scrapped in Bihar 14 years ago. Farmers there are getting Rs 800 per quintal for corn even as its MSP is Rs 1,850 in other states. Similarly, they are forced to sell paddy at Rs 1,000 per quintal, which is much lower than the MSP,” he said.

Charuni said despite this, response from Bihar farmers was not as per expectations. “This struggle is for their rights also,” he said. “There is a need to make this struggle pan-India. Not only farmers but people from other walks of life like landless labourers and small businessmen should also join us,” he said.

“The farming community is looking at us with hope and we won’t let them down,” said Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda).