The farmers union on Thursday said that because Prime Minister Narendra Modi, failed to keep up the promises he made during the election campaign in 2014, the farmers had to suffer a loss of Rs 2 lakh crore.
The union also complained that the Modi-government also failed to keep the market price to fall below the current minimum support price (MPS) and so the farmers had to sell their farm products at a low price.
All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of over 180 farmer organizations, on Thursday also said that sometimes the farmers were even forced to sell their products below the cost of production in some cases, causing an expected loss of Rs 35,968 crore to them.
Addressing the media, AIKSCC also demanded a complete loan waiver from the government and to and asked Modi to keep up his premise of remuneration of 50 percent margin above the cost of production. The Union also declared that they will be holding a protest, Kisan Mukti Sansad in Delhi on 20 Nov.
Farmers leader from Maharashtra and Lok Sabha Member Raju Shetty informed that more than one lakh farmers are like;y to take part in the protest.
The AIKSCC accused the government of looting the farmers. It said that the farmers would not have committed suicide if the government had not looted them. The union informed that they have organized several rallies all over India, to unite the farmers as one regarding the issue.
The Union also alleged that the farmers in Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh were forced to sell products below the MSP, which have put them under financial stress. Therefore, it is the need of the hour that the government grant a complete loan waiver and proper remuneration, argued and proper remuneration.
loan A farmer activist Kirankumar Vissa, from Telangana, said that farmers must have lost Rs 2 lakh crore when their earnings this season, as per the government data, were compared with the remuneration they would have got with the promised 50 percent profit on the MSP.
Om 20 Nov, when the union will hold a protest across the nation, a draft bill that will have the two demands of the union, one a complete loan waiver and second to fulfill the promise made by Modi of a 50 percent profit on the minimum support price, will be presented in the Kisan Mukti Sansad and it will be debated and passed by the farmers’ Parliament.
V.M. Singh, convener of the AIKSCC said that “We will invite the leaders of political parties and Prime Minister to come to the Sansad if they are ready to support the Bill and the demands.”