Nagpur: While on the one hand Devendra Fadnavis addressed people on a televised show yesterday called ‘ Mee Mukhyamantri boltoy’ (I speak to you as Chief Minister) to explain how his loan waiver scheme was meant to benefit all small farmers who had defaulted on their loans, the SUKANU farmers’ committee has refuted the claim and begun a state wide protest rally from today, 10th July.
The rally has begun from Nasik today and will tour the whole state speaking at 14 prominent towns on the way. This rally, which will be joined by all farmers’ groups is meant to give up a wake-up call to all concerned to not get fooled by all announcements of large scale loan waivers to farmers and continue with their “Elgar” ( Joint cry for justice).
The CM had declared that 40 lakh farmers would ‘benefit’ from his offer and their ‘saat baara’ would be wiped clean. But actually, there are too many conditions to be fulfilled to avail of this offer, say Farmers’ leaders and the rules and conditions keep getting changed further.
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Monday 02 March 2025
(The CM had stated categorically that while waiving loans his government would have to safe guard interests of banks, specially the Rural co operative banks. If they closed down due to the burden of unpaid loans, farmers would suffer more. “More farmers commit suicide where financially strong co operative banks are not present” he said.)
Farmers who had taken loans for building poly houses, green net covers, drip irrigation or keeping Emus ( a bird common in Africa) will not be included. Also farmers who have been repaying loans regularly, but are small farmers with loans less than Rs. 1.5 lakhs will also be excluded.
Farmers of the state have been demanding complete loan waivers for all farmers, given the adverse conditions for farmers of the last 4 years and the alarmingly growing number of farmer suicides in the state in recent years.
(This year too, the delayed monsoon means many farmers will have to go in for ‘dubar perni’, means sowing of seeds again, and they want the government to compensate for second purchase of seeds and fertilizers.)
They are also demanding that government addresses all their other demands too, like:
Total acceptance and implementation of Swaminathan commission recommendations; and-
Guaranteed adequate compensation for farm produce that will factor in all their input costs.
This will ensure that farmers do not get weighed down by loans that they cannot repay again and again and have to beseech the government for help.
The ‘protest yatra’ will circulate copies of the Swaminathan report to farmers to educate them on recommendations made, which had been accepted by Modi and Fadnavis in toto when they were in opposition and had promised 100% implementation in their election rallies.
The ‘yatra’ that began in Nasik today will go to Thane (Palghar), Raigad (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg), Nagar, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Amraoti, Yawatmal,Buldhana, Akola, Wardha, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nanded, Parbhani, Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Solapur, Kolhapur and will end in Pune on 23rd July.
DECLARATION BY YEWLA GRAM PANCHAYAT
Meanwhile, at the ground zero of farmers’ agitation, town Yewla Gram Panchayat held a meeting at which they declared that the government’s assurance of help to large number of farmers is an eye wash and a white lie.
They said, even on paper, only 5% of the farmers of their area stood to benefit and rest, a whopping 95% would be left high and dry.
All honest farmers were being penalized by not being included in the waivers.
Therefore a resolution has been passed that hence forth farmers will not repay loans – to PSU or private banks, not pay local taxes or pay electricity bills either.
Copies of the resolution have been sent to CM’s office, Jilhadhikari, Agriculture Minister and the SUKANU committee also.
NANDED FARMERS TO TAKE OUT HUGE MORCHA ON AUGUST 1st, FOR COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER
Farmers of Nanded area, made public their decision to continue with wide protests by taking out a ‘mashal’ ( torch lit by fire) yatra on Saturday, 8th July.
Their protest will culminate in a protest Kranti Morcha taken to Jilhadhikari (District CEO) on 1st August.
