Police firing in Madhya Pradesh: It’s not just "conspiracy" against agriculture, it’s "open war" against farmers

By Jayesh Patel and Sagar Rabari*
The news of police firing on agitating farmers in Madhya Pradesh has shocked all of us. In an act of defiance the police, acting on political orders, have unleashed violence against farmers agitating about their perilous condition and neglect by the government of their long-standing demands. Their action has resulted in the death of 6 farmers, as per news reports of various national dailies.
Farmers and farmer organisations across Gujarat express their shock and horror at this brutality of the Madhya Pradesh government and condemn this action in the strongest terms. From condoning the criminal acts of ‘non-state’ actors (vigilantes and mobs who lynch people) to state sanctioned violence was but a small step, waiting to happen.
The pro-capitalist policies of the government are the main cause of farmers’ distress in the country. While land, water, forests and coasts can be diverted for industrial purposes without even the mandatory clearances and NPAs and loans and revenue foregone running into thousands of crores of rupees can be ignored, the farmers’ demands for water for irrigation, electricity, fair and remunerative prices for their produce and loan waiver to tide over lean years are met with bullets.
Declining agriculture export and increasing import of agro-produce and higher rates on agro value addition under GST regime are examples of the Government’s intentions to compel farmers to abandon agriculture and hand over natural resources like water and land to big pro government corporate houses.

There are rising instances of the state machinery increasingly resorting to violence and use of fatal force against farmers, this being the latest instance. This is no longer a conspiracy against farmers and agriculture; it is open war against them by the state through its various arms.
Khedut Samaj-Gujarat condemns the government and police of Madhya Pradesh in the strongest terms. They will continue to stand by the agitating farmers of Madhya Pradesh and all and any other states of India.
The farmers of the 68 villages merged into AUDA, under the leadership of Khedut Samaj-Gujarat, were to take out a vehicle – tractor, car, motorcycle – rally. In view of the atrocity on their fellow farmers in Madhya Pradesh and in solidarity with them and their struggle, this programme was altered to include a 2-minute silence to pay homage to the martyrs in Madhya Pradesh. However, and not surprisingly, permission has been denied, yet again, by the authorities.
We request all the farmers’ organizations and other CBOs and NGOs to organize statewide programmes across India to show solidarity with the farmers.
Day after tomorrow, 9th June, the farmers will hold a day-long demonstration and shraddhanjali sabha for the martyrs of the movement in Madhya Pradesh at all the district collector offices across Gujarat after handing over a memorandum demanding justice for the farmers.
Khedut Samaj-Gujarat appeals to all people concerned at the deteriorating state of democracy in the country today and the increasing suppression of people’s voice to join these programmes in large numbers. This is not a political programme or a programme of any particular political party and so people joining are requested to do so without their party’s banners.
---
*Khedut Samaj-Gujarat

Comments

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra* The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Victim of communal violence, Christians in Manipur want Church leadership to speak up

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ* The first eleven days of May 2023 have, in many ways, been a defining period of Indian history! Plenty has happened in a rapid-fire stream of events. Ironically, each one of them are indicators of how crimes and the criminalisation of society has become the ‘new norm’; these include, the May Day rallies with a focus on the four labour codes which are patently against the rights of workers; the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its Annual Report on 1 May stating that conditions for religious freedom in India “continued to worsen in 2022”; the continued protest by the Indian women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for the expulsion of the chief of the Indian Wrestlers Federation on very serious allegations; the Elections in Karnataka on 10 May (with communalism and corruption as the mainstay); the release of the fake, derogative and insensitive film ‘The Kerala Story’; the release of World Free Press Index on 3 May which places India

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Polygamy in India "down" in 45 yrs: Muslims' from 5.7 to 2.55%, Hindus' 5.8 to 1.77%, "common" in SCs, STs

By Rajiv Shah Amidst All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) justifying polygamy, saying it “meets social and moral needs and the provision for it stems from concern and sympathy for women”, facts suggest the the practice is down from 5.7 per cent of Muslim families in 1961 to 2.55 per cent in 2006.

Modi govt 'wholly untrustworthy' on Covid data, censored criticism on pandemic: Lancet

By Rajiv Shah* One of the world’s most prestigious health journals, brought out from England, has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government for being “wholly untrustworthy on Covid-19 health data”, stating, the “official government figures place deaths at more than 530 000, while WHO excess death estimates for 2020 and 2021 are near 4·7 million.”

Undermining law, breastfeeding? Businesses 'using' celebrities to promote baby food

By Rajiv Shah* A report prepared by the top child welfare NGO, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), has identified as many as 15 offenders allegedly violating the Indian baby food law, the Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 1992, and Amendment Act 2003 (IMS Act), stating, compliance with the law “seems to be dwindling by the day.”

Delhi demolitions for G-20 summit: Whither sabka saath, sabka vikas?, asks NAPM

By Our Representative Well-known civil rights network, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), even as expressing solidarity with “thousands of traumatized residents of Tughlakabad and some other bastis in New Delhi whose homes have been demolished and whose lives have been ravaged both prior to as well as in the lead-up to the G-20 Summit”, has said this is in utter disregard to “their minimum well-being and gross violation of their rights.”

'Misleading' Lancet estimates on zero food intake in infants, young children of India

By Srinivas Goli, Shalem Balla, Harchand Ram* India is one of the world's hotspots for undernourished children, both in terms of prevalence and absolute numbers. Successive rounds of National Family Health Surveys ( NFHS ) have revealed that the progress observed since the early 1990s is far from what is expected when compared to the country's economic growth.

Greater reasons for Asia to unite than Europe, 'overcome' costly hostilities, political egos

By Dr S Faizi* Europe, once a theatre of internecine wars, now has a robust European Union shaping the common destiny of its people. Although Europe is only a subcontinent of Asia as Arnold Toynbee had observed and as is visible to anyone looking at a map, we still not have a common Asian platform for economic and political cooperation. It is high time Asia had its well mandated regional organisation to secure a common Asian future, ending the costly hostilities and political egos. We can have the Asian Union even when the bilateral hostilities, unique to Asia, refuse to go away completely.

Search This Blog