SEEING THE FARMERS’ PROTEST, THE ADMINISTRATION BUDGED

SEEING THE FARMERS’ PROTEST, THE ADMINISTRATION BUDGED

24-AUG-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA--------------------------The conflict going on between the administration and the farmers for the last four days has stopped. Seeing the bitter protest of the farmers, the administration stopped the work of trampling the paddy crop of the farmers for the construction of Bharat Mala Project Banaras Ranchi to Kolkata Expressway on Saturday. Despite the work being stopped, hundreds of farmers remained gathered on the Keva Canal. The protest is continuing by raising slogans of Kisan Ekta Zindabad Jai Jawan Jai Kisan. Due to the administration not working, there was peace throughout the day. District Magistrate Kaimur held talks with the farmers who do farming on sharecropping and cash. The sharecropping farmers demanded the District Magistrate to stop the work till the paddy is harvested. The farmers said that we take the fields by paying money. Our family's livelihood is done by the produce of the fields. Hundreds of farmers in Kaimur district who do farming on sharecropping and cash basis will be affected by the start of work on Bharat Mala Project. Sharecropping farmers will become victims of starvation due to trampling of paddy crops. All small farmers are supporters of the government. District Magistrate Sunil Kumar listened to the small farmers carefully and asked the Circle Officer to write the names and complete details of those farmers. While talking to the farmers, the District Magistrate did not give assurance of stopping the work. The District Magistrate definitely said that the peasants should apply for compensation, after which the work can be considered to be stopped. The activities of farmers and farmer leaders remained intense throughout the day to save the paddy crop of the farmers. Farmers have intensified contact with the Bihar government and ministers to save the paddy crop and get proper compensation. Farmers said that Minister Jama Khan has assured that the farmers' crop will not be allowed to be damaged. Despite all this, the farmers want assurance from the District Magistrate that Bharat Mala Project will not be started until the crop is harvested. Pashupati Nath Singh, General Secretary, Kisan Sangharsh Morcha, Kaimur and Abhimanyu Singh, President, Bhartiya Kisan Union, Kaimur, who were protecting the crops along with the farmers, said that the farmers have decided not to trust the administration and to continue the dharna to protect the crops. Along with the farmers, hundreds of farmers like Bhupendra Singh, Rakesh Upadhyay, Lala Singh, Gudri Singh, Ramsakhi Yadav, Chandrajeet Yadav, Jai Prakash, Ashok Kushwaha, Shyam Prakash Patel, Vakil Singh, Shyam Sundar Singh etc. were protecting the crops at Keva Canal.