The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Farmers’ associations launch relay fast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Farmers’ associations launch relay fast

Special Correspondent.

. -Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

For MSP: Farmers staging a protest demanding MSP of Rs. 1,000 for paddy at Indira Park in Hyderabad on Tuesday

HYDERABAD: Cutting across political lines, farmers’ associations on Tuesday launched a weeklong agitation, starting with a relay hunger strike at Indira Park here, demanding a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs. 1,000 for paddy.

At a broader level, they wanted implementation in toto of recommendations made by the National Commission on Farmers, headed by M.S. Swaminathan, which among others, prescribed MSP for 13 crops.

Explaining the logistics of what he termed as ‘no-holds-barred agitation’, K. Ramakrishna, president of Andhra Pradesh Ryotu Sangham, said the relay hunger strike apart, they would launch ‘rytu chaitanya yatras’ in all district headquarter towns from Wednesday and an indefinite hunger strike by State-level leaders of different farmers’ associations from November 18.

Among others present at the relay hunger strike camp were S. Rama Rao, president, AP Rythu Sangham, Ravula Venkaiah, general secretary, AP Ryotu Sangham, Muthyam Reddy and N. Venkateswar Rao, president and general secretary respectively of Telugu Rythu and J. Damodar Rao, honorary president, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.

Modalities suggested

Asked about the modalities of how he wanted to go about fulfilling the farmers’ demands, they said they wanted Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to see that a unanimous resolution seeking increase of MSP was passed in the Legislative Council and Assembly.

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