Balram Jakhar lambasts Central Govt for IA hijack

MUMBAI, JANUARY 6: Senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Dr Balram Jakhar has blamed the BJP-led National Democratic Allianc...

MUMBAI, JANUARY 6: Senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Dr Balram Jakhar has blamed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for not being alert in the hijacking of Indian Airlines aircraft IC-814 from Kathmandu airport.

Jakhar told newsmen here on Thursday that had the government been alert and more vigilant, the hijacking could have been averted. He said that the government remained non vigilant in spite of knowing that Kathmandu is the hub of ISI activity.

Jakhar who is also the chairperson of the Bharat Krishak Samaj said that the need of the hour is to shape a national legislation and economic policies to protect the farmers and domestic markets, indigenous knowledge and food security. He said that there is a need for renewed outlook on the co-operatives sector as the government’s interference is too much.

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Charging the Centre, he said that the government is rushing in series of Intellectual Property Right (IPR)-related legislation on ground that these are needed tomeet the obligation under the trade-related IPR agreement of the WTO by January 2000.

He pointed out that the legislation is aimed at creating seed monopolies and is going to adversely affect the farmers’ livelihood and property rights and pose serious threat to our food security. Jakhar alleged that food laws are being changed to create disincentives and disadvantages for small scale cottage industries leading to monopolies of global agro processing corporations.

Jakhar said that ever since the government has started removing quantitative restrictions on agricultural imports and has drastically reduced import duties on soya oil, sugar, rubber and essential commodities thereby threatening the livelihood of farmers on a large scale.

He said that farmers are not in a position to repay bank loans due to increased imports, increased input prices without corresponding increase in end products, which led to suicides in states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

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Jakhar said that it is very sad tonote that due to imports, cotton prices have fallen to about 30 to 40 per cent. He said farmers are not in a position to sell paddy at the procurement prices announced by the government and added that perishable items like tomatoes, potatoes and onion which have huge export potential are not being channelised properly due to lack of cold storage facilities, improper infrastructure due to which it is destroyed in mass scale.

He said that a rally will be held at Karad on February 20 to highlight the plight of the farmers of India.