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Journalism of Courage
NAGPUR, May 22: The state unit of Janata Dal has threatened to launch a novel tala thoko agitation to lock District Collectorates on May 25 in support of the demand for a better deal to the farmers affected by crop failure due to unseasonal rains.
Addressing a press conference JD spokesman Mohan Prakash announced that the JD activists will march to the Collectorates and lock the offices. Since all earlier efforts to provide a better deal for the farmers failed to move the administration, they chose to use this method.
Prakash alleged that the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance leaders in Maharashtra have also remained indifferent to the farmers sufferings who lost their crops due to a prolonged spell of unseasonal rains in the month of December and January.
He demanded that Vidarbha region be declared as drought-hit. Other demands included a crop loan waiver and supply of seeds and fertilisers to farmers at subsidised prices.
The JD leader arrived here after attending the two-daymeeting of state JD office bearers at Arni in Yavatmal district. He also blamed the Central government for allowing import of farm and marine products. The Exim policy announced recently by the Vajpayee-led government are bound to affect both farmers and fishermen.
Mohan Prakash also criticised the BJP leaders for supporting the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) move to develop a `shaktipeeth’ at Pokharan, the site of nuclear tests. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders should explain what they mean by a `shaktipeeth’ and whether scientists like Dr Abdul Kalam would be allowed to enter the proposed `shaktipeeth’, Prakash wanted to know.
He hit out at the BJP for its plan to take out a yatra with urns containing Pokharan soil. It is not safe to carry soil from near the N-test sites because of radioactivity, he said.
Janata Dal leaders Balasaheb Agne, Netaji Rajgadkar, Ashok Shyamkunwar, Ramrao Waghule, Abdul Rehman Qureshi were also present at the press conference.
