New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of farmers, has labelled the various farmers unions meeting the Central government Ministers as ‘illusory’.
The farmers body has also called the talks, photos of which have been shared by union ministers as “diversionary tactics to draw attention away from the farmers’ problems”. They claim the slew of farmers unions meeting and talking to the Central representatives don’t “represent the struggling farmers”. In fact, in a seeming reference to those unions, the body alleged that the government is trying to garner support from “lobbyists and vested interests to fool people”.
They claim that statements issued by the Ministers ‘prove’ that these 3 Acts have been made only to facilitate the ‘corporate capture’ of the agriculture markets.
“The Govt is boasting that $36 billion worth of Foreign Direct Investment has come in first 5 months of this year, which is higher than past years. It says large amount of crops perish due to lack of technology causing economic loss. These questions of loss, technology, facilities and infrastructure are precisely the main basis of farmers’ demands, which they want the Govt to provide on a cooperative basis while the Govt wants it to go into corporate hands,” reads a statement.
Private investment in agriculture, in place of the government investing and helping farmers will completely wipe out the government mandis and warehouses, the farmers body argued.
The Working Group of the AIKSCC has called for the coordination of all protest actions and intensification of the drive to hold protests at the village, tehsil and district levels.
Rallies are also planned at Kolkatta on the 16th, Manipur on the 19th, Mumbai on the 22nd and Patna on the 29th of this month.
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