Farmers Movement Archive

Procure paddy, Bengal farmers urge govt

KOLKATA: Farmers in Bengal marched to the state capital on Wednesday raising slogans like ‘Duare sarkar, dhan kena darkar’ to demand minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, and in the process expressed solidarity with their counterparts protesting for weeks on Delhi-Haryana border against the Centre’s controversial farm laws. The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Centre (AIKSCC) organized the march when poor and marginal farmers were making distress sale of their yield to middlemen at much less than the government-declared MSP. The protesters demanded repeal of the three central laws in addition to procurement of paddy at MSP rates by the government. Left-led peasant organizations are planning to reach out to rural households in Bengal on the issues. “We will take out jathas (rallies) in villages from December 20 to uphold the cause of farmers. There will be dharnas in blocks and district towns to demand fair prices for agricultural produce. Our programmes will continue for weeks,” said Bangiya Pradeshik Krishak Sabha leader Amal Haldar. A delegation later submitted a memorandum to the governor. Haldar, however, made a distinction between poor and marginal farmers in Bengal and “the rich ones” in Punjab and Haryana. “Farmers there are fighting for restoration of mandis. Here, farmers don’t go to mandis. They want the government to procure paddy, which is currently selling at nearly half the announced MSP rates. These farmers will become agricultural labourers if the sector is thrown open to corporate entities,” the Krishak Sabha leader said.

The Times of India

2020-12-17

Kolkata