Police force was deployed to deal with the farmers who were supposed to stage a road blockade in Chhattisgarh.
The officer was instructed not to use force even if the agitation turned violent.
What is the background of the issue?
The Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, an alliance of 21 organisations, was staging a “chakka jam” (road blockade) on the outskirts of the state capital.
The Chhattisgarh government did not want what happened in Madhya Pradesh (MP) where six farmers were killed when the police opened fire on them.
Instead of directly confronting the farmers, the police officer diverted the traffic on National Highway 6.
In Chhattisgarh, farmers are not buying cash crops and hence remain unaffected when crops fails.
Interest-free loan is another issue that fails to charge them up.
This year they had to dump and destroy quintals of tomatoes because the demand was sluggish.
Government in Chhattisgarh had failed to fulfil its 2013 assembly manifesto that it would enhance the minimum support price of paddy to Rs 2,100 a quintal, besides a bonus of Rs 300 to farmers against procuring each quintal of paddy.
The other demands included procuring every grain of paddy, waiving crop loans, and implementing the report of the Swaminathan committee.
What is the history behind farmer’s agitation in Chhattisgarh?
Farmers of the region launched the first satyagraha in the freedom movement.
In July 1920, The “Nahar (canal) Satyagraha” started at Kandel village (about 80 km from Raipur).
The farmers of Kandel launched a movement against the British government, which had imposed the irrigation tax.
A payment warrant of over Rs 4,000 was issued against them.
The farmers defied the order and refused to pay.
In return, the government started suppressing the villagers and took away their cattle.
The Kandel Satyagraha continued even as the British government took many into custody and tortured them.
The leaders then decided to urge Mahatma Gandhi to support and lead the movement.
The British government swung into action after sensing the expansion of the movement at the national level and asked the deputy commissioner of Raipur to probe the matter.
Based on his report, the British government wrote off the tax and returned the cattle. The decision was taken before Gandhi reached Raipur to lead the agitation.
