Farmer protests: Milk, Vegetable Supply can be hit as Farmers launch 10 Day Strike in MP, Maharashtra, Punjab

Fuelled by the Mandsaur incident in which 7 people were killed in police action that took place 1 year ago in Madhya Pradesh , Marks a wide spread of protest by 130 farmer outfits in 7 cities.

video Input by 101Reporters.

According to Indiatoday

Major Points-

• Won’t protest in cities, don’t want to disturb people: Farmers
  Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh President Shiv Kumar Sharma said the protests will be limited to rural areas because they don’t want to “hackle normal lives” of people.
• Demands: Loan waiver for all farmers, permanent minimum income
  Besides urgent payment of minimum support price (MSP), farmers are also demanding loan waiver for all farmers across the country and an assurance of permanent minimum income from the government
• Demanding loan waiver farmers begin 10-day protest in Uttar Pradesh
  Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are also participating in the 10-day protest. The protest has started in Sambhal where farmers are demanding implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and loan waiver.
• Farmers to suspend supply of vegetables, dairy products
  Under the 10-day protest, farmers will suspend supplies of vegetables and dairy produce to nearby cities for 10 days and stage roadside dharnas along 30 major highways in the country.
• Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh is leading the protest
  The protests are being held under the banner of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh (RKM), a federation of 130 farmers’ organisation.

Who are affected ?

The cities in the seven states where the farmers began their strike are likely to face acute shortage of vegetables and dairy products over the next 10 days. The shortage in supply of vegetables and dairy products may push the prices of these commodities.
North Indian cities including the national capital New Delhi are likely to bear the brunt as they are largely dependent on the supply of vegetables, milk and other dairy products from neighbouring states of Haryana, Rajasthan and even Madhya Pradesh. Delhi receives most of its onions and tomatoes from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
However, traders from the cities can go to the striking farmers and buy vegetables and dairy products to bring back to the urban areas. The RKM has not imposed any ban on sale of vegetables and dairy products if the urban traders approach the growers in the villages
The other side of protest

Some Positives

On the other hand, not all the farmers’ outfits are participating in the strike. A more powerful farmers’ body, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti (AIKSS) has decided to stay away from the strike.
AIKSS is a federation of over 190 organisations including those affiliated to political parties and groups like the All India Kisan Mahasabha of the Communist Party of India, the Swaraj Abhiyan of Yogendra Yadav and the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna of Raju Shetty (an influential body in Maharashtra).
This means a majority of farmers will be staying away from the 10-day strike. These two umbrella groups – RKM and AIKSS — are competing bodies in some aspects and their not coming together is likely to save city dwellers much of the trouble.