People's Democracy

Rajasthan Farmers Resolve To Intensify Agitation

THE Kisan Vyapari Majdoor Sangharsh Samiti has decided to intensify the Rajasthan farmers struggle for adequate share of canal water for irrigation. The farmers are carrying on the agitation for the last one month despite severe repression unleashed on them by the BJP state government. The talks between the state government and the agitation leaders failed at the time of writing this. 

Consequently, the Samiti has decided to conduct rallies (Mahapadav) in Gharsana on November 11, Anupgarh on November 13, Vijoynagar on November 15 and Suratgarh on November 17. The Samiti is demanding immediate release of water from Indira Gandhi Canal, release of all arrested, compensation to Chandu Ram Saran who died due to injury in police lathicharge, Parmeshwari Devi, who also died due to police action and to Anju Devi who suffered abortion due to injury as also to all those who were injured in police action.

The farmers of Bikaner division (three districts of Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner) are agitating for water for irrigation to be released from Indira Gandhi Canal from October 10, 2006. The BJP government led by Vasundheraraje Scindia, instead of solving the hardships of the farmers, unleashed police forces clamped curfew in many places for many days and also called in Army and attacked agitating farmers and women. Hundreds of agitators, including leaders of the movement like Hetram Beniwal, Shadi Ram Punia and others were arrested and put behind bars for the last one month.

Just to put up a show of striving for solving the problems, the government called for talks with the agitation leaders. But when the discussions began, it adamantly refused to concede a single demand, thus leading to collapse of talks in minutes. 

The people from all walks of life in Rajasthan and particularly in Phase I area (Bikaner Division) are demanding that the state government resume talks with agitating leaders immediately and settle the issue.

The All India Kisan Sabha in a statement strongly supported the demands of agitating farmers and appealed to all the democratic forces to come forward in their support. (INN)