People's Democracy

Farmers Hold demo at Anantnag

Mohd Afzal

ON February 7, Anantnag in Jammu & Kashmir witnessed a largely attended demonstration under the banner of Jammu & Kashmir Kisan Tehrik, an affiliate of the All India Kisan Sabha, to protest against the barbaric killings of two sisters, against the erratic power supply in the district, scarcity of ration items and kerosene oil, and to demand work for the job cardholders under the MGNREGA, credit facilities to Kisan Credit Card holders and on some other issues. Not caring for the heavy rains on the day, the demonstrators, holding umbrellas in one hand and the placards in another, demanded a probe into the recent killing of two sisters and a youth at Sopore and Handwara respectively.

Addressing the demonstration,  Jammu & Kashmir Kisan Tehrik general secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik said the recent killings of two sisters and a youth have once again created fear psychosis among the Kashmiris, and it is the responsibility of the government to identify the killers and bring them to book at the earliest. The repeated human rights violations are bound to have an adverse affect on the people, he cautioned. He said the erratic power supply, scarcity of food grains, kerosene oil, non-availability of work to job card holders under the MGNREGA, non-payment of financial assistance to Kisan Credit Card holders, non-availability of fertilisers and pesticides during the peak seasons have created havoc for the farmers community who have been the worst sufferers of government apathy.

Later a memorandum regarding the probe into the recent killings and on the demands and problems of the farming community was handed over to the deputy commissioner of Anantnag.