Farmers
lift siege of Bhopal after Govt. concedes 50 demands
Wednesday December 22, 2010 08:31:08 AM,
Pervez Bari, ummid.com
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Bhopal: The two-day siege of
Bhopal together with the official residence of Madhya Pradesh
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by about one lakh farmers
from all over the state ended following the acceptance of major 50
demands from a long list of total 183 by the Bharatiya Janata
Party, (BJP), ruled state government here on Tuesday night.
The happy ending came tonight at about 8.30 pm when Madhya Pradesh
state minister and Government spokesperson Narottam Mishra visited
the “dharna” (sit-in) site and announced that the state government
has conceded their major 50 demands and the procedure of issuing
orders about these have been started. The farmers were agitating
for their various demands including 12-hour power supply to rural
areas, adequate fertilizers, quality seeds, better return for
their produce, water etc.
Thereafter, Shiv Kumar Sharma, president Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, (BKS),
Madhya Pradesh Unit, under whose banner the farmers were
agitating, declared that the siege is being lifted and “dharna”
and “Chakka Jaam” (road-blockades) being staged by the farmers in
the city are being called off.
It may be pointed out here that during the day confusion prevailed
about the lifting of the siege after an accord over 50 major
demands was reached between leaders of BKS, an affiliate of
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, (RSS), and the BJP Government. The
agitating farmers virtually revolted and refused to budge from
their stated position to fight it out to finish until and unless
their demands were met forthwith and written orders issued.
“We are not going to be pacified just by assurances this time come
what may”, the farmers reiterated their resolve in unison at the
“dharna” site when informed about the acceptance of their 50
demands.
According to sources after the farmers refused to listen to the
BKS leaders and lift the siege another round of talks was held in
the evening to reach to an amicable solution.
In the morning confabulations between representatives of BKS,
Government and the state BJP leaders along with RSS activists took
place at the local RSS headquarters wherein the meeting ended
without reaching to any workable result.
Meanwhile, a number of farmers sustained injuries, some in their
heads, when police resorted to cane-charge on a group of peasants
in the wee hours of Tuesday to disperse them. The agitation
leaders annoyed at the incident counseled the farmers not to get
charged and retaliate as the state government wants BKS activists
to attack police force and thereby create conditions wherein the
administration can take police action against them.
It may be mentioned here that taking everybody, including the
district administration and the police, by surprise several
thousands of aggrieved agitating farmers from all over Madhya
Pradesh in about 5000 tractor-trolleys drove into the city in the
wee hours of Monday morning to hold a convention and a symbolic
“dharna” in Priyadarshini Park near the CM’s house over the non-fulfillment
of their various demands despite submission of memorandums several
times. They foxed the district administration and turned their
convention into indefinite “dharna” and “Chakka Jaam” at important
squares in the city.
According to Kisan Sangh state president Shiv Kumar Sharma Chief
Minister Chouhan had earlier only dished out assurances about a
dozen times each time the Sangh office-bearers met him with their
demands. He calls himself to be the son of a farmer but by his
conduct he has proved to be their worst enemy. “Kisan Ka Putr
Kahlane Wala Kisan Ka Dushman Hai”, he had remarked at the start
of the “dharna”.
Among many slogans raised by the farmers at the site of the
“dharna” the most vocal was “Jab Tak Dukhi Kisan Rahega, Tab Tak
Dharti Par Toofan Rahega”.
As the day wore more and more farmers in thousands trooped into
the city. Thereby traffic movement went haywire and the normal
life became topsy-turvy. Many schools had to declare holiday,
examination in colleges were cancelled and government offices
registered thin attendance.
Meanwhile, All India Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh
alleging that Chief Minister Chouhan had failed to contain the
farmers agitation had demanded his resignation.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
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