Mandsaur anniversary: Shivraj govt ups guard as Congress backs farmers

The MP govt is monitoring at least 410 villages, asking for good behaviour bonds and issuing warnings to protestors from last year to stay away from the 10-day agitation from June 1

Photo by Mujeeb Faruqui/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Photo by Mujeeb Faruqui/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
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LS Herdenia

In view of the proposed state-wide 10-day long farmers’ agitation, both the Congress and farmers’ organisations have begun brisk preparation to ensure massive success of the stir.

There are special reasons behind Congress’ expectation that the agitation will hit the ruling party to a great extent. The outcome of the recent survey, carried by the ABP news channel, has emboldened the rank-and-file of the Congress to join the agitation in a big way. The survey has forecasted that the Congress is destined to capture power in the state after the Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled to be held by the year-end.

While the survey has energised Congress’ workers, it has caused panic in the ruling- Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). After the agitation begins from June 1, Congress President Rahul Gandhi would reach Madhya Pradesh and address a rally on June 6 in Mandsaur, the worst-affected district during last year’s agitation. Six persons were killed in the alleged police firing during the infamous demonstration.

The government is making elaborate preparation to face the agitation. Preparations include the purchase of 17 thousand lathis to arm the policemen.

Mandsaur will turn into a Kurukshetra from June 1 onwards when various farmers’ organisations head on a ten-day protest to mark the first anniversary of the farmers’ agitation.

MP’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has asked both civil and police officials to handle the stir with patience. Taking a lesson from the incident during farmers’ agitation in Mandsaur, the state government is observing caution ahead of the proposed farmers’ agitation.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the divisional commissioners and inspectors generals (IGs) of police and told them to have patience and remain alert during the agitation called by farmers organisations.

Chouhan told them to be personally present on the ground and to not depend on feedback from lower officials. Chouhan told divisional commissioners that it was needed that farmers were told that the government had done significant welfare work for them.

Chouhan said that all the demands of farmers had been accepted and their future demands would also be accepted.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the administration is monitoring 410 villages of Mandsaur, Neemach and Ratlam districts. About 100 villages in Mandsaur, which were worst- affected during last year’s agitation are being monitored with greater intensity.

The administration has prepared an elaborate plan to keep an eye on the possible trouble-makers. According to the plan, around 1,500 people from the area have been made to sign good behaviour bonds, 1,300 people have been given red cards with the last warning of dire consequences if peace is disrupted, 1,050 people who had participated in the last agitation have been warned to stay away from a future agitation.

Following intelligence inputs from the central agencies, the officials have started collecting details of farmer and political leaders who pose as a potential threat to peace.

While talking to media, IG (intelligence) Makrand Deouskar suspected that the farmers’ protest could go nasty as many other organisations have indicated that they would join the agitation against the government.

Leaders of various farmers’ organisations have deplored the procedure adopted by the administration to sign the bonds, assuring good behaviour and also to assure that they would not participate in any agitation.

Talking to mediapersons, peasant leader Shiv Kumar Sharma “Kakkaji” warned that the administration must stop seeking bonds from common people. “If the procedure is not stopped immediately, the government should be ready to face serious consequences. Looking at the hardships being faced by farmers, we will not rest till this anti-kisan government is overthrown,” said Kakkaji.

Kakkaji said that this time “bandh” means village bandh. During the ten-day agitation, farmers will not sell their produce. This ban will apply to food grains and also on vegetables and milk. Sharma said that because of the hardships, more than 60 thousand farmers of Madhya Pradesh have committed suicide. He also asserted that various schemes and promises made by the Chief Minister have not helped the farmers.

The ten-day agitation is being launched to pressure the government to fulfil some important demands. They include, complete waiver of loans, farmers should get extra profit on their produce, pension should be given to those farmers who have attained the age of 65 and those guilty of last year’s agitation should not be penalised, and the enquiry commission which was appointed to go in the causes of police firing should be dissolved. Instead, a high-level fact finding enquiry should be held.

Meanwhile, the Congress has decided that an all-out effort will be made to ensure grand success of Rahul Gandhi’s visit. It is learnt that the Congress has already started sending its volunteers to around 2,200 villages under Mandsaur parliamentary constituency to rekindle the fire against the government and its anti-kisan policies.

The Congress hopes to mobilise more than a lakh farmers for the June 6 rally to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has announced yet another yatra. This time a more political one, with an eye on the polls.

Singh, who was appointed head of the party’s election coordination committee by Rahul three days ago, said that neither he, nor any member of the panel will contest the polls. “It is a condition we laid down during the meeting today. Members of this committee will not contest the Assembly elections in November. “Anyone who is interested in a party ticket should resign (from the panel) now,” said Singh. He had earlier said he is not in the race for CM.

Besides Digvijaya, Ajay Singh, the leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, is also undertaking another yatra. Both the yatras will help in motivating people for the farmer’s agitation.

While the government is taking several stringent measures to deal with the agitation, it won’t hesitate to suspend the internet and mobile services if the protests take a serious turn.

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