On Saturday, leaders from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee condemned the use of force by police to prevent farmers from participating in the Chalo Assembly, a protest scheduled for Thursday to bring losses due to thrips (a minute black winged insect which sucks plant sap) and other factors to the government's attention.
The farmers joined the protest at the Collectorate in Ongole. They demanded that the government do justice to the farmers who lost their crops because of thrips and save them from taking extreme decisions.
District convener of the SKM, Chunduri Rangarao, AP Raitu Sangham leaders Pentyala Hanumantha Rao, Vadde Hanumareddy, Akhila Bharata Raitu Coolie Sangham leader K Nancharlu, Kisan Congress AP vice president V Rajagopala Reddy, Acharya Ranga Kisan Samstha general secretary Chunchu Seshaiah, and others spoke at the program about the pathetic conditions the farmers are facing.
They noticed that many farmers were taking drastic measures to end their lives since the State and Central governments were not supporting them when they suffered losses.
According to them, production has been greatly reduced in many locations as a result of the recent invasion of the western flower thrips, and farmers have been forced to totally remove the crop in a number of areas.
However, the government failed to provide the compensation they promised the farmers and did not announce the pest attack as a national calamity.
The farmers alleged that, in addition to the government’s negligence, the State's opposition party neglected the mourning farmers and their demand for justice for them.
They informed that the farmers' organizations organized a Chalo Assembly on March 10 to draw the government's attention to the seriousness of the situation and to explain how the thrips had harmed their lives, but that the government, which should be listening to the issues, foiled it by deploying police force.
The farmer leaders condemned the government's dictatorial attitude and demanded immediate compensation of Rs 1 lakh per acre for the chili farmers.
