Kisan Rally in Fazilka

‘Kisan ki lalkar badal do sarkar’
From Our Correspondent

Sounding the Assembly poll bugle at a massive farmers’ rally in Fazilka on February 4, 2006, the BJP National President, Shri Rajnath Singh, declared that they would slash the interest rate on agricultural loans to 6 percent if the BJP and its alliance partners got people’s mandate at the Centre and the State. He said the party would take all measures to ensure that the country’s farmers were not driven to commit suicide, as was the case under the present Congress Government.

Upbeat over a strong gathering of over 40,000 farmers at Fazilka grain market, Rajnath Singh called it a Kisan Mahapanchayat and said it reflected the mood of the people of Punjab who had already made up their mind to wipe out the Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections. According to those present, the mammoth gathering didn’t augur well for the ruling Congress. Political analysts felt that the overwhelming response to this rally proved that there was a strong anti-incumbency feeling among the masses.

Speaking on the rally’s theme, “Kisan ki lalkar badal do sarkar”, Shri Rajnath Singh accused the Congress government of duping the farmers and expressing his sorrow at the suicide by 200 farmers in Sangrur district, said that nothing could be more unfortunate for Punjab than the death of the country’s annadata. The situation was not different in other agriculture oriented States of the nation.

He called farmers the backbone of India and charged Congress of neglecting them in 45 years of its rule. Accusing the State government with ignoring the farmers’ interests, he said though the Congress rode to power by promising 24-hour power supply and free power to the farmers, the power scenario in the State was pathetic.

He rued that while sugar prices had shot up to Rs. 22 per kg, cane farmers were still fetching Rs. 120 per quintal for their produce, while they got Rs. 110 per quintal when cane’s rate was Rs. 10 per kg. Addressing the problems of the local cane farmers, he said the farmers should get at least Rs. 175 per quintal for sugarcane.

Attacking the UPA government, he said diesel prices had shot up five times in a year. He also flayed the Central Government’s decision of importing wheat. It would hurt the farmers of Punjab badly. That is why BJP had planned to start a movement to form public opinion against this decision and oppose Government’s policy in the Parliament.

Apart from promising relief in terms of agricultural loans, Shri Rajnath Singh spoke about providing basic necessities in villages and improving the present miserable conditions in rural areas when BJP comes to power in the State.

State BJP President Avinash Rai Khanna said resentment against the State government was brewing among people and it was evident from the suicide committed by a farmer in Kapurthala, owing to delay in his paddy procurement and the recent self-immolation by Gopal Kashyap in the Chief Minister’s home town. He said though the Chief Minister was boasting of 16 mega projects, there was no guarantee of employment for Punjabis in these projects. He said 30,000 posts of teachers and 15,000 posts of doctors had been lying vacant in the State.

Former Delhi Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sahib Singh Verma pointed out that while cane farmers were not getting fair prices for their crop, potato and mustard farmers were yet to receive any compensation for the damage caused due to frost.

Rajya Sabha MP Dara Singh urged the youth to channelise energy in sports to save them from drug menace. Lok Sabha MP Navjot Singh Siddhu emphasised his views with a number of engaging stories and interesting couplets. BJP Secretary Sarvashri Harjit Singh Grewal, Party’s All-India Kisan Morcha President Vinod Pandey and former State President Brij Lal Rinva were also present on the occasion. The rally was organised by the former MLA and minister from Fazilka, Shri Surjit Kumar Jyani.

Speaking to reporters on his way to Bhatinda after the successful rally, Shri Rajnath Singh said that the farmer of Punjab is respected highly because he feeds the entire country but the present Central Government is bent upon destroying him financially. Shri Singh said that the alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal under the leadership of Prakash Singh Badal had a bright future and the Congress was sure to be defeated in the forthcoming Assembly polls.