JAIPUR: Another round of agitation by farmers of the Phase I area of the Indira Gandhi Canal Project on the issue of irrigation water is in the offing from Saturday. The groups, which were lying low taking stock of the situation in the wake of the failure of talks held here on Wednesday, have geared up once again planning to have a series of "padavs" (sieges) in the districts of Bikaner, Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh.

The State Government, which has taken a tough stance so far on the basic demand for supply of water as per the agreement of December 2004 and on the immediate issue of a package to the family of the alleged victim of police brutality in the current agitation, too, has swung to action, raiding farmers hamlets and resorting to large-scale preventive arrests on the eve of the next round.

This time the bitterness is more between the farmers agitating under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangarsh Samiti (KMVSS) and the BJP-led Government. There is a sense of disillusionment, verging on desperation, among the groups about the promise not kept by the Government on the package to the family of Chandu Ram Saran, the farmer from 10 LM village who had died allegedly after police beating.

"We were promised of a package to his family by the Government for facilitating the cremation of Chandu Ram. However, when the talks were held Home Minister started singing the same tune once again," said CPI State secretary Dushyant Ojha talking to journalists here on Friday. "The State Government's insensitivity to the farmers' issues and the Chief Minister's indifference are only responsible for the prolonged agitation," he charged.

At the end of the month-long agitation, two things have emerged. One, the main Opposition in the State, the Congress, is to come out more strongly in support of the farmers, as its stakes are highest in the region; and two, there is a division in the Cabinet over the official attitude towards farmers' demands with the group led by Chief Minister opting for a tougher stand.

The Congress, which had fought shy of coming out into the open in 2004 when the agitation first broke out resulting in the death of six farmers, this time is more determined.

The Congress high command is reportedly of the view that in 2004 the party missed a major chance to consolidate its position among the farmers of Bikaner division -- once its stronghold -- and also allowed the Left parties, especially the CPI (M) to capitalise the issue.

The PCC decision to convene a meeting of party's district presidents, zila pramukhs, MLAs and former MPs on Wednesday to prepare an action plan for the future agitation was indicative of this new initiative. "We have been part of the agitation from the very beginning. Now we want to take the lead," PCC president B.D. Kalla, observed.

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