Watch: A farmers’ agitation in Rajasthan has just secured what it wanted (with support from others)
The farmers had a list of 11 demands.
Farmers in Rajasthan launched a peaceful 10-day protest on September 1, with a list of 11 demands. The demands included loan waivers, compensation for damaged crops, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, and payment of insurance money.
The movement then swelled with the participation of other groups (video above). The turnout of supporters included trade associations, bus unions, students, auto-rickshaw unions and anganwadi workers. They collected at about 250 different locations in the region, and called for a transport blockade in Sikar on Monday, and obstructing entry and exit points to three districts (video below).
Thousands of people also blocked several regions in Rajasthan, including the Jaipur-Sikar route and Agra-Bikaner highway, and some roads to Jhunjhunu, Bikaner and Churu. A three-hour long meeting on Tuesday between representatives of the agitating farmers and the state government did not yield results.
But finally, there was a breakthrough with the All India Kisan Sabha reaching an understanding with the Rajasthan government, involving loan waivers of up to Rs 50,000, and a promise from the state administration to strongly recommend ending cattle sale curbs to the Union government.
“If the government doesn’t agree with the recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission, along with the demand for farm loan waiver, then their mahavpadav and blockades will continue,” Amra Ram, a former MLA and one of the leaders of the protest, had reportedly said earlier, according to India Today.
[Clarification: This article and the headline have been updated.]
