Chaos and clashes over fertiliser shortage in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena

“We were pushed out of the line during the initial rush to get fertiliser,” said Ajay Tomar, one of the injured farmers who was hospitalized after the incident. “When we tried to get back in line, the farmers behind us objected. This led to fighting between the two groups.”

The confrontation quickly escalated into a full-scale brawl with farmers wielding sticks against each other. Three farmers identified as Ajay Tomar, Rajaram Tomar, and Ramesh Tomar, all residents of Mirghan village, sustained injuries in the melee.

Similar scenes of unrest unfolded in neighboring Sheopur district, where frustrated farmers resorted to stone-pelting at a fertilizer distribution center on Bangrod Road in Vijaypur. The situation deteriorated after hours of delays in distribution, forcing staff members to flee the premises.

“We had been standing in line since morning for fertilizer,” a farmer, Mangil Lal Rawat, said. “According to the rules, five bags of fertilizer should be given per Aadhaar card through tokens. The distribution didn’t start on time and kept getting delayed repeatedly. By afternoon, when we still hadn’t received any fertilizer, our patience ran out and we started pelting stones in anger.”

Morena Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Bhupendra Singh Kushwah attempted to downplay the supply concerns, claiming adequate fertilizer stocks were available. “There is sufficient fertiliser available,” Kushwah stated. “Still, farmers are creating chaos. We will have the police investigate why farmers came to the fertilizer distribution centre carrying sticks.”

Madhya Pradesh has been in the middle of a shortage of fertilisers this entire Kharif season. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had recently warned district magistrates they would be held liable for law-and-order problems arising from non-availability of fertilisers to farmers. This was done after government officials said the stock of fertiliser was adequate, however, administrative lapses by some district magistrates had led to the long serpentine queues outside these centres.