Senior Social Activists condemn the high-handedness of MP Government
MP Govt must take a position of NO VIOLENCE but a DIALOGUE
We welcome the Maharashtra Govt decision of waiving the debt of farmers
On 10thof June, a team of Senior Social Activists from various People’s movements and concerned citizens including Yogendra Yadav, Swami Agnivesh, Dr. Sunilam, Mohit Pandey and Medha Patkar visited Ratlam for a condolence meeting after brutal attack on the farmers agitating for their rights. They wished to visit the families of martyrs, support farmers’ demand and create an atmosphere for a non-violent struggle. The program was denied a permission for, the previous day and when a letter was sent to the collector questioning the same at 11 PM; finally the new lady collector gave a permission at about 2 AM. After the press conference, the condolence meeting was held. All the above seniors as also RamnarayanKureria (AIKS) and other also criticized anti-farmer policies leading to an unprecedented number of suicides. It was after the press conference and condolence meet that the team left along with the farmers of Narmada Valley, from Jhabhua, Ratlam and other places, youths from YUVAM, Ratlam and others. It was basically to salute the martyrs and spread the message of peace and non-violence.
At the press conference Yogendra Yadav spoke about the agrarian crisis created by the wrong policies which need to be transformed, he hoped that the chief minister’s fast would lead to some kind of self-actualization and that will lead to a change in his anti-farmer attitude. Dr. Sunilam reminded all of the report of inquiry commission after the Multi Massacre which concluded that the violence grips a people’s movement only when there is no dialogue. Medha Patkar spoke about the discrimination against farmers indicated by inequity between the farming and the corporate sector. She referred to the diversion of agricultural land following the deliberate undervaluation of the agricultural produce and related services making the vocation non-profitable. All of them saw the CM’s fast as not just symbolic but farcical, following Modi model. He too had 51 hours 5 star fast against 21 days fast by Narmada BachaoAndolan.
Just when they were about to enter the Mandsaur District, they met not farmers but huge police contingent at Dodal where they were stopped by ASP Deepak Kumar Sharma and SDM R P Verma. They were argued with, on the issue of giving us the copy of the order but they could not produce any order as a basis for entering Mandsaurand only referred to Section 144.
The women police were brought to stop all including both men and women activists both. After strong protest condemning the act as undemocratic and unjustifiable since the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh already announced that there is already peace in Mandsaur and curfew has been withdrawn. The non-violent people’s movement that the activists and farmers from 12 states were representing obviously would like to support the farmer agitation but resist the state violence with dialogue policy by the CM and the PM.
They had brought small pots of Mitti-soil from various states and wanted to present it along with SammanPatra to families of martyr families. The same was shown to the Police as it was also read out in the Condolence Meet and the Press Conference. When the officials were expressing helplessness referring to the order of higher authorities the protestors declared their determination to reach the oppressed families, sooner or later and courted arrest.
We realize that after the movement the statement was given yesterday, the Chief Minister instead of doing undertaking a 1 day fast and resting in Bhopal, should have reached the houses of the farmers who were killed and wounded by the state police. We experienced nonviolent activists could not be a cause of creating any law and order problem while the State itself was responsible for breaching the law and unleashing violence against the farmers. Even today the repression that is on is suddenly intimidation tactic to kill the movement and 57 filed cases against, under Section 307 out of whom 13 are arrested and rest are not yet arrested or are in custody. At least250 are wounded and some are declared as absconding. They have filed cases under various sections against them. So this is a challenge before the farmer’s movement for saving the agriculture and agriculturists.
The State needs to change its attitude and clearly take a position of no violence but a dialogue to settle the issues that are national and critical.
We welcome the decision by the Government of Maharashtra to free all small farmers of all debts and hope that the newly formed multi-stake holder Committee This is victory of the peoples’ movements and unity amongst them and after Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, it remains to be seen whether Madhya Pradesh Govt. shows the similar sensitivity and generosity which the farmers deserve since they have been at the loss always compared to the corporates who are favoured with enormous financial concessions worth 32, 00000 Crores within 5 years, remains to be seen. We support all the demands of the farmers which are:-
- Freedom from debt from all public lending institutions and illegal private money lenders.
- Optimum MSP based on the Swaminathan report recommendations (price to be 1.5 times the cost inputs)
- Pension to all farmers and farm labourers.
- Priority in the distribution and redistribution of, water and power.
The team has again demanded a Constitution of farmers’ income commission at the national level and impartial investigation committee under the chairmanship of the High Court judge to inquire into the killings repression and victimization of farmers. It has reiterated its demand that the Govt. of MP should hold an immediate dialogue without any party based discrimination with the leaders of the farmers’ movements in MP and agree to all their demands.
Madhuresh Kumar, Himshi Singh, DevramKanera, Ankita
Contact: 9867348307
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