Gujarat : Farmers Prepare to join in Nationwide Gramin Bandh Call for MSP Guarantee

Surat : Farmers in Gujarat are preparing to join in the nationwide Gramin Bandh call announced by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the central trade union to protest the ongoing violent clashes between protesting farmers and security forces during the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on the Haryana-Delhi border. Farmer leaders and Congress MLAs in Gujarat have urged the state’s farming community to join the bandh call to voice their support to the ongoing agitation.

Farmer cooperative leaders Darshan Naik and Sandip Mangrola, together with Congress Members of Legislative Assembly Dr. Tushar Chaudhary and Anant Patel, have made a call to farmers, agricultural workers, teachers, small merchants, and transport operators to take part in the bandh by ceasing their usual operations.

“This Kisan movement is also in the interest of Gujarat’s farmers,” said Darshan Naik. “This is a win-win situation.” “We urge all farmers to support the Gramin Bharat Bandh by refusing to engage in farming activities for a day.”

Farmers in Gujarat are making their demands known, which include the following:

Based on the Swaminathan formula of C2+50 (input cost of capital plus 50%), the minimum price for all crops is guaranteed to be profitable. This method ensures that the minimum price for their output is profitable.

Legal assurance of the procurement process: The prevention of distress sales by ensuring that government purchases are made at MSP.

Providing respite from the ever-increasing responsibilities of debt is what debt waiver is.

No rise in the cost of power, so preventing farmers from experiencing further financial burden.

The opposition to smart metres includes expressing worries about the possibility of inaccurate invoicing and the ability to disconnect from a distant location.

In addition, they are in favour of the demands that are being made for free power for farmers, residential usage, and retail establishments.

Farmers are protected from the financial damages that might be incurred as a result of natural catastrophes by comprehensive crop insurance.

The pension was increased to Rs. 10,000 per month, which improved the retired farmers’ ability to maintain their standard of living.

It was emphasised by Dr. Tushar Chaudhary, the Congress Member of Legislative Assembly for Khedbrahma, that their requests were fair. “Over the course of the last ten years, the government has forgiven a total of fourteen lakh crore in debts that were owed by industrialists,” he claimed. “If the economy is able to deal with that, then it is certainly capable of bearing the twenty-one lakh crore that is owed by farmers.” A reduction in the amount of debt that farmers owe would raise their buying power and stimulate the economy by increasing output and the number of jobs that are created.