Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers’ Mahapanchayat in Ongole on April 19: Vadde

A sustained campaign will be undertaken across the nation to mobilise the support of all sections of the society, including farmers and labourers, to protest the ‘anti-farmer and anti-labour’ policies of the Central government, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) State convenor Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao has said. As part of the campaign, a farmers’ Mahapanchayat will be organised at the ABM College grounds in Ongole on April 19 to press for repeal of the three farm laws, statutory backing to minimum support price and scrapping of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill intended to phase out the subsidies. Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikiat, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) national president Ashok Dhawle and other farmer leaders would prepare the farmers, workers and other sections of people for a protracted struggle against the ‘corporate-friendly’ economic policies of the NDA government, said the former Agriculture Minister. Similar ‘Mahapanchayats’ would be organised across the country to pressure the Centre into giving up ‘suicidal economic policies’, said Mr. Sobhandreswara Rao, who had extensively studied the impact of WTO regime on domestic farmers. “The three farm laws will accentuate the downfall of the Narendra Modi government, which is adamant on implementing them against the wishes of farmers,” he said, adding that nothing short of repeal of the three farm laws is acceptable. Farm subsidy He said that at a time when developed countries are subsidising the farm sector in a big way, the NDA government is phasing out subsidies and doing away with safety cushions such as market intervention when the prices of farm produces fall. “Farming will be viable only when the government will implement the recommendations of the National Farmers’ Commission,” he opined. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has decided to broadbase the movement by roping in different sections of the society affected by the ‘poor economic measures’, said All India Kisan Sabha national vice-president Ravula Venkaiah.

The Hindu

2021-04-16

ONGOLE,ANDHRA PRADESH