Farmers sell groundnuts at a grain market (anaj mandi), in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Credit: PTI Photo
Jaipur: Lending support to the farmers’ Delhi Chalo protest over legal guarantee for the MSP, farmers in Rajasthan, angry over the inordinate delay in bringing in the MSP law, are planning a tractor rally to Delhi on Feb 21.
The tractor rally would first congregate in Jaipur and would proceed to Delhi on Feb 21, when they would also urge the Chief Minister to accompany them to the capital, demanding a reserve price and MSP for crops.
Farmers from districts of Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar are on their way to Delhi to join the 'Delhi Chalo' march, Rampal Jat, national president of Kisan Mahapanchayat, Rajasthan told Deccan Herald.
He said the Central government has declared a war on farmers as if farmers are dangerous enemies of the state. He says : “All we are asking is to bring a law on MSP. The committee on MSP obviously has not done its work. Why is there so much delay over declaring the reserve price of crops? Farmers, who work so hard , are getting exploited in this way as they have to sell their produce at a lower price.”
Explaining the hardships of farmers, he says the mustard is already there in the market but the government says they would begin buying mustard at MSP from March 15. “How can farmers wait for two months, so they start selling to agents at a lower price suffering losses. The government should begin the policy of buying crops throughout the year.”
The declared MSP of mustard is Rs 5650 per quintal yet the farmers are now having to sell it at Rs 4200 per quintal, losing Rs 1450 per quintal. Rampal complains, “The double-engine government in Rajasthan has not made any move to give relief to farmers. Earlier the parties blamed each other as there were different governments in the state and at the Centre. Congress, which mentioned MSP in its manifesto, now has the excuse that they are no longer in government. Whereas the Central government time and again has asserted that farmer’s interests would be kept in mind in the Parliament and that no one would be forced to sell below MSP. But look at what is happening?”
He also says at least 75% of the crop production does not come under the MSP. “The government is hell-bent on exploiting the farmers, forcing them to sell their products at a much lesser price, suffer loses and ultimately many are committing suicides. ”
At present, the farmers union in Rajasthan are conducting awareness campaigns in each district. Farmer unions would congregate in Jaipur on February 21 and try to meet Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and urge him to accompany them to Delhi to bring in a law on MSP.