Farmers Movement Archive

Jubbal-Kotkhai: Apple is the flavour of the poll season

With the campaign to the bypoll reaching its last leg, emotions and issues related to horticulture are running high in the apple heartland in Jubbal-Kotkhai constituency that has remained the turf of two former chief ministers.Apple cultivation is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the electorate in this constituency. In spite of a good crop, apple season this time has been agonising for the farmers. The weather vagaries hit the crop earlier, unseasonal snow in spring caused widespread damage to orchards in the middle and higher belts, and repeated spells of hail battered the fruit. The farmers did not get compensation for the losses.Later, prices in the market crashed, mainly due to the nexus between the merchants and wholesale dealers. The ₹6,000 crore apple economy which mostly runs on the free market model, was dealt another setback when Adani group, a big corporate buyer in Himachal Pradesh’s apple market, announced its opening price for premium quality fruit at just ₹72 per kg against ₹88 per kg it offered last year.There were widespread protests in the apple-growing regions of the state. Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a conglomerate of 21 fruit and vegetable growers’ associations, was at the forefront of the campaign. The agitation echoed loud in Jubbal and Kotkhai too.The farmer was angry over the steady silence maintained by the government. Horticulture minister Mahender Singh‘s and urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj’s statements further infuriated the growers. Both blamed the economy for the losses. Farm unions demanded the government to implement Market Intervention Scheme on the analogy of Kashmir, besides the implementation of the APMC Act. The fruit cultivators also wanted the government to abolish various charges the commission agents were pocketing.Apples are one of the core issues for fruit growers in the by-polls. “Na hum Congress waaley na hum BJP Waley hum hein Seb waley (neither we are Congress nor BJP, we are apple growers),” says Chetan Bragta, an independent candidate who rebelled against BJP after he was denied ticket and party preferred Neelam Saraik over him.Chetan is riding high on sympathy wave after his father Narinder Bragta’s death in June. Bragta, a former horticulture minister, was a popular leader and widely known for his contribution towards apple-growing areas. He was instrumental in introducing anti-hail guns, strengthening the local mandis.“There is no fault of mine, the party did not let me mourn my father’s death. I was asked to be in the field for campaigning, I don’t understand why did they do this to me,” says Chetan whose election symbol is apple.He has come out with a vision document promising more CA stores, fruit processing industries, high-density plantation, setting up horticulture university and promoting orchard tourism in his assembly segment.“Roads and horticulture have always been my priority, the BJP government ignored the apple-growing regions in the last three years. the government should talk about what they did for apples, the main Theog-Hatkoti road, which is the lifeline of apple growing regions, is still incomplete, while the conditions of link roads have gone from bad to worse,” says Rohit Thakur, former MLA, ex-chief parliamentary secretary and grandson of former chief minister Ram Lal Thakur.Thakur lost the last election to BJP’s Narinder Bragta by a margin of 1,062 votes. Rohit’s grandfather Ram Lal Thakur had remained legislator from Jubbal and Kotkhai, seven times and he defeated Virbhadra Singh in 1998. Rohit who himself has been legislator thrice is trying to defend his legacy.Former CM Virbhadra Singh had also remained a three-time MLA from here.On the other hand, BJP’s Neelam Saraik too is raising issues related to apples. “Actually, some people have not been able to tolerate that commoner has been allocated the ticket,” she says. To allure voters, BJP had announced separate sub-divisional magistrate office in Jubbal and Kotkhai and a tehsil and fire station in Kalbogh region.Samyukt Kisan Morcha is opposing the BJP. “Our organisation is non-political but it’s obvious that the farmers will oppose the BJP over farm laws and the impact of these laws is visible everywhere,” says Sanjay Chauhan, former mayor who hails from Kotkhai, co-convenor of SKM.“The cost of production has skyrocketed, while the prices have remained stagnated since 2010. So government must provide MSP as is being given in Kashmir. The government must strictly ensure timely payments. Government must seriously think of implementing universal carton and speed up building cold chain facilities,” says Mahijit Rathore, president of Nawar Valley Apple Association.

Hindustan Times

19-10-2021

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