PRESS RELEASE issued at the Press Conference in IWPC in Delhi on April 24, 2008
BHARATIYA KRISHAK SAMAJ PRESS RELEASE April 24, 2008
Farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj has launch a 8-day long Kisan Yatra on April 26, 2008 in protest against the anti-farmer policies of the government and the deliberate move by the Haryana government to grab fertile farmland from farmers at a platter for setting up of SEZs. The Yatra will be flagged off from village Pelpa near Badli in Rohtak district in Haryana at 10.00 am on April 26 by the president of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary.
From village Pelpa the yatra will pass through tehsil Kharkhoda- Sonepat-Karnal-Yamunanagar-Kethal in Fatehbad-Sirsa-Hansi in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh- Rewari-Faridabad-Jhajjar. A massive rally of farmers has been planned on May 11 in village Pelpa to be addressed by farmer leaders – Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary, president, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Mahabir Gulia, president, Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Samiti, Satpal Numberdar, president, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj (Haryana unit) and Captain Satbir Singh Gulia, organizing secretary, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj Baldev Singh Rana, president, Bhumi Bachao Samiti, Sonepat.
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj would launch similar Kisan Yatra in different states of the country in protest against anti-farmer policies of the government.
"We are beginning with Haryana as this is an agriculturally productive state where the state government has become aggressive in acquiring farmlands at a platter. Haryana is a small state with only 20 districts where 93 SEZs have been given in-principle approval and 67 are before the Board of Approval. If such unbridled grabbing of farmlands are allowed to go on there would be practically no land for cultivation and this would cause food security problem. The farmers, who are not getting remunerative prices for the sale of land, will be reduced to beggars," said the President of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary.
The president of Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Samiti, Mahabir Gulia said : "The Haryana government is employing all sorts of foul tactics to acquire farmland from farmers at a cheap price and selling it to big corporate houses for setting up of SEZs. The Haryana government is acting as a broker (dalal) in the interests of corporate houses."
The FAO director-general Jacques Diouf has cautioned of food riots across the world in the near future if adequate steps are not taken. The government should read this writing on the wall and take immediate measures to conserve and protect farmlands said Dr Chaudhary. "Bharatiya Krishak Samaj believes that even the degraded lands can be brought back to agriculture,"he said
Dr Chaudhary informed that so far 547 SEZs across the country have been given in-principal approvals. 206 SEZs have been notified and 233 SEZs have been given formal approval. This would amount to a massive loss of farmlands.
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj is also concerned over the status of a "almost foreign territory" given to SEZs where domestic laws including that for labour and taxation are not applicable. "The only difference between a SEZ and a foreign territory is that the SEZ cannot mint its own currency. The fiscal benefits given to SEZs amount to a revenue loss of Rs 1.26 lakh crore to the government in 2006-09. The SEZs have the privilege of using only 35% of the land acquired for actual business and the rest can be used for real estate activity," said Dr Chaudhary
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj also opposes other anti-farmer policies of the government like the introduction of futures trading in agro commodities, free entry of corporate houses and retail chains in agriculture marketing, contract farming by corporates. These measures have encouraged largescale hoarding of stocks leading to market manipulation and high prices. The farmers do not gain from price rise as they are paid the lowest price in the season at the time of harvest, the benefits of subsequent price rise are cornered by big market players to their advantage.
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj also opposes the proposed largescale bio-fuel programme of the government for cultivation of crops like Jatropha, which is likely to displace food crops out of cultivation. Bio-fuel crops should not be cultivated on degraded lands also. Attempts should be made to make degraded lands fit for cultivation of food crops. GM crops should be immediately banned as they cause health and environmental hazards. Bt cotton cultivation has caused heavy losses to farmers on account of its failure in places. The BKS gives this slogan – Modern BIOTECHNOLOGY is BIO-TERRORISM as it acts as a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD) ---- BIO-FUEL PROGRAMME is BIO-TERRORISM on FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENT
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