MSP for sunflower: Farmers block NH-44 in Kurukshetra again, Bajrang Punia extends support

Wrestler Bajrang Punia and farmer leader Rakesh Tikait also joined the mahapanchayat in Kurukshetra at noon. Earlier, the farmers’ organisations had extended their support to the wrestlers’ protest seeking action against WFI president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.

“The government should release the farmer leaders who were arrested for blocking the national highway on June 6 and ensure procurement of sunflower seeds at MSP. Otherwise, demonstrations would be held across the country,” Rakesh Tikait said. On Sunday, Haryana Police issued notices to several farmer leaders asking them not to be part of Monday’s kisan mahapanchayat. On Sunday too a kisan mahapanchayat was organised by farm bodies on the KMP Expressway at Mandothi in Rohtak and it was decided that the farmers would block roads and highways across Haryana on Wednesday (June 14) if Brij Bhushan Singh was not arrested by then.

On June 6, farmers had blocked NH-44 agitated over the state government’s decision not to buy sunflower seeds at MSP. On orders from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to clear the national highway, the state police used force and lathi-charged the protesters, even using water cannons to disperse the agitated mob. Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) leader Chaduni and other farmers were then arrested.

Although on May 31 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had deposited Rs 181 crore into the bank accounts of 67,758 farmers as compensation for the loss of their crops due to unseasonal rain in March-April and on June 9 Khattar had also announced Rs 1,000 per quintal as interim support under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana (price difference payment scheme) for the sunflower crop sold below the MSP – both these measures of the state government had failed to placate the protesting farmers.

Opposition Indian National Congress has extended its support to the protesting farmers. “The BJP government has once again showed its anti-farmer face. This government has changed Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, which is famous in every village of the country. Now, the slogan of this government is ‘Mare Kisan, Pite Kisan, Jai Dhanwan’. The government has come down to dictatorship and incidents of lathi-charge on farmers have become a routine in Haryana,” said Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Deepender Hooda while addressing media persons in New Delhi. Hooda also appealed to the farmers to be patient and wait for 2024 polls. “If this government does not give a legal guarantee of MSP, then there will be a change in 2024 and once Congress is voted to power, we will fulfill the demand of legal guarantee of MSP,” Hooda said while also demanding that “those farmers who sustained injuries in Kurukshetra lathi-charge on June 6 should also be given a financial assistance by the government”.

Protesting farmers reiterated that the MSP of sunflowers has been fixed by the government at Rs 6,400 per quintal, but private players are purchasing them only for Rs 3,500-3,800. The farmers added that even after the government’s interim relief of Rs 1,000 per quintal, the total cost does not match the MSP and is far below the MSP.

Congress’ another leader from Haryana and Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan, Randeep Singh Surjewala, too said that neither there is an MSP law, nor the farmer is getting the MSP for his crop. And when the farmer raises his voice, all what he gets is police lathis.