Farmers Movement Archive

PM Modi’s virtual address to MP farmers to be telecast live across 23k villages

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address farmers virtually in a Kisan Kalyan Sammelan of Madhya Pradesh on Friday, a day after hundreds of farmers from the state, under the banner of Ekta Parishad, started foot march from Morena, the home district of Union agriculture minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, to support the farmers’ protest in the national capital demanding repeal of three central farm laws.The PM’s virtual address will be telecast live across 23,000 villages of the country and at all the district headquarters of Madhya Pradesh, a state government official said. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will join the programme from Raisen. During the event, the state government will transfer Rs 1,600 crore to the accounts of 3.5 million farmers as relief funds against crop loss, said the official of public relation department.“The previous Congress-led state government did injustice with the farmers by not transferring relief funds into their accounts. The previous Congress government did not even deposit the premium of Fasal Bima Yojna. But BJP is determined to work for the welfare of farmers. We have already deposited the premium of Fasal Bima Yojna and are now going to transfer relief funds,” the chief minister said.Also read: Farmers protest should be allowed, observes SCOn Wednesday, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya had said that farmers in Malwa are supporting the farm laws and are ready to show the support. Addressing farmers’ meet in Indore, Vijaywargiya said, “Four lakh farmers in on 1 lakh tractors are ready to march towards Delhi in support of the law. They are just waiting for the nod of cabinet minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan. It will take only 10 days to reach Delhi from Malwa region.” Pradhan was also present at the meeting.On the other hand, hundreds of farmers under the banner of Ekta Parishad started foot march from Morena to Dholpur in Rajasthan on Thursday against the farm laws. Ekta Parishad president PV Rajgopal said farmers from across MP have joined the march. “The foot march will end in Dholpur on Saturday and thereafter, we will leave for Delhi in vehicles. Our motive is not a protest but to resolve the problem. We are willing to convince the Central government in favour of farmers,” said Rajgopal.MP Kisan Congress state president Dinesh Gurjar, local Congress MLAs Ravindra Singh Tomar and Ajab Singh Kushwaha are participating in the march. Some local tribal leaders are also taking part in the march. A tribal leader, Kasturi, who only uses first name, said, “We are supporting the protest because it is a fight for the rights of farmers.” Earlier too, Ekta Parishad held a successful Jan Satyagraha on October 2, 2012, against then UPA government demanding National Land Reforms Act. Former Union minister of rural development Jairam Ramesh had agreed to draft a national land reform act to help poor and homeless people on the sixth day of the march.MP Congress Committee also announced to stage protest on December 19 in districts of MP to support the farmers’ protest. Former chief minister and MPCC president Kamal Nath, Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh and other leaders will participate in the protest.Farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting at Delhi borders since November 27 braving the chilly nights asking the Central government to scrap the three farm laws passed in the monsoon session of Parliament in September. Farmers in different parts of India have held demonstrations to support the protests around the national capital.

Hindustan Times

17-12-2020

Bhopal