BJP plans farmers' parliament in Delhi May 12-13

Chandigarh, April 14 (IANS) The Kisan Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold a farmers' parliament in New Delhi May 12-13 to highlight the plight of peasants.

Kisan Morcha's national president Om Prakash Dhankar told reporters here that problems faced by farmers would be discussed at the meeting.

Quoting a letter written by union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently, Dhankar said that the letter stated that the central government's policies were anti-farmer.

Pawar also wrote that "the present MSP (minimum support price) calculating system is incapable of bailing out farmers from the serious economic crisis they are reeling under," Dhankar said.

"The farmers today stand at the lowest pedestal of economic pyramid in society and are now fighting a battle for survival," Dhankar said.

He said that Pawar termed it "unfortunate" to give business to industrial units at the cost of farmers. He said that Pawar also vehemently condemned the ban imposed on export of cotton and sugar in country and termed the decision anti-farmer.

"In view of the increased farmer suicides and their pitiable condition, we have been demanding a special parliamentary session on the issue. But for Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, farmers are the last priority," he added.

He said that at the farmers' parliament would be attended by former chairman of farmers' commission M.S. Swaminathan, journalist P. Sainath, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, Lok Sabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj, Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley, former union agriculture minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders, including chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states.

"At the kisan parliament, issues of present situation and challenges for the farming sector, government policies vis-a-vis nose diving income of farmers, market insecurity and farmers, natural calamities and poor disaster management, agriculture input and increasing prices, lack of infrastructural facilities and other things will be discussed," Dhankar said.