Ongole: AIKSCC plans Grameen Bharat Bandh on Jan 8

Ongole: The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) Prakasam district convenor Chunduri Rangarao announced in a statement that the national-level leaders of the committee has proposed Grameen Bharat Bandh on January 8 if the government fails to take proactive measures for tackling the impending drought crisis across the country.

Rangarao said that the third national convention of the AIKSCC was held with more than 800 members from 250 farmer organisations in the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi for two days, on Friday and Saturday.

He said that eminent personalities like the convener of the forum V M Singh, Raju Shetti, Yogendra Yadav, Medha Patkar, Atul Kumar Anjaan, Hannan Mollah, Kiran Vissa, Pasya Padma and others discussed the plight of farmers in the country and problems looming around them.

He said that he stressed in his speech about the need for unity between farmers and farmworkers for mutual survival and demanded the forum to take up the issue of jamail and subabul farmers who are suffering from losses for the last five years, to the State and Central governments and see justice delivered to them.

Rangarao announced that the members participated in the convention demanded the government come forward to save the farmers. He said that the national working group has decided to take up rallies and protests from December 15 to 31 highlighting the failure of government in issues like ensuring minimum support price at 50 per cent more than the complete cost to farmers, providing freedom from indebtedness, implementing effective crop insurance, timely disbursement of disaster compensation, implementation of the Forest Rights Act and others along with the state-level problems.

He said that before observing the Grameen Bharat Bandh on January 8, they will write letters to the President of India from January 1 to 5, listing their grievances and requesting his excellency's intervention.