Farmers Movement Archive

Address issues of farmers on priority: Arundhati Roy at Elgar Parishad

PUNE: Author Arundhati Roy on Saturday said the central government should take a call on the withdrawal of the three farm laws. “The laws framed by the government are not in the interest of the farmers. Their issues need to be addressed on priority by the government,” Roy said at the day-long Elgar Parishad conclave, held in Pune after a gap of over three years amid tight security. The last Elgar Parishad was organised on December 31, 2017. The next day (January 1, 2018), there were violent caste clashes at the Koregoan Bhima memorial. She also demanded that all the 16 activists held in the Elgar Parishad case (being investigated by the National Investigation Agency) be released. Former IAS officer Kananan Gopinathan also spoke at the event. Justice B G Kolse-Patil (retired), one of the organisers of the event, said, “The Elgar Parishad aims at bringing a change in the functioning of the system.” He appealed to youths to ask the government tough questions as it would increase their level of confidence. “The new generation will feel that you have done something for them,” Kolse-Patil said. The Elgar Parishad conclave is organized as a part of the “Koregaon Bhima Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyaan” to commemorate the battle of Koregaon Bhima fought on January 1, 1818. The last Elgar Parishad event in 2017 had led to an FIR alleging provocative speeches. The Pune police later claimed that the conclave was a part of a larger conspiracy by the banned CPI-Maoist outfit to foment trouble and overthrow the government. On December 23 last year, the police had rejected the organisers’ plea for holding the conclave on the following day. The police gave permission to the conclave on Saturday following a fresh application from the organisers.

The Times of India

2021-01-31

Pune