What, however, is surprising and indeed unprecedented is the Chief Minister’s decision to agitate personally. Arguably, no Chief Minister in Independent India has, so far, publicly agitated against the Central Government. Those in the know say that any Chief Minister or Minister should resort to public agitation only after quitting his ministerial assignment.

Old-timers recall that during the SVD rule (1967-69) in the State, the Socialist Party launched an agitation in Gujarat. A number of Socialist Party leaders, who were holding ministerial positions in Madhya Pradesh, were bracing up to join the agitation. But they were categorically told by the party leadership that they can participate in the agitation only after quitting the council of ministers.

People feel that Chauhan was free to agitate, but only after resigning from his post. Though, of course, no one expects him to do anything like this. After all, his party-the BJP, is presently headed by a leader who had the temerity to say that what the Karnataka Chief Minister had done was “not illegal, only immoral”. If his party president does not attach much importance to morality, it would be unfair to expect the Chief Minister to do so.

The Chief Minister has announced that his agitation would continue till the Centre agrees to release the relief package sought by him. The Chief Minister, in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, has sought a special package of Rs. 1505 crores from the Centre. He has informed the Prime Minister that the crops in the state have suffered damage worth Rs. 3686 crores. The Chief Minister has also suggested that individual farmers be considered a unit under the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme, that recovery of farm loans granted by nationalised banks be suspended and that the banks be asked to waive the interest on the loans.

The Chief Minister’s decision to launch an indefinite fast is being criticised by the Congress and other opposition parties. “It is nothing but a drama, a political stunt”, said AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh. He has advised the Chief Minister to take up the cause of farmers with all the seriousness it deserves rather than indulging in “gimmickry”. To begin with, Digvijay said, the Chief Minister should fulfill his promise of waiving 50 percent of the loan amount given to farmers and stop black-marketing of fertilizers. In a lighter vein, Digvijay Singh expressed the hope that the Chief Minister would keep his word of fasting till the relief package was released by the Centre. “Standing waist-deep in the holy Narmada river, he has once publicly vowed that he would never marry. Everyone knows what happened later”, he said.

Other leaders of the Congress have also cricitised the Chief Minister’s indefinite fast decision. It is generally felt that adequate attention was not paid by the BJP government to the pressing problems of the farmers. Perhaps, it was due to this that RSS-affiliate “Bharatiya Kisan Sangh” was forced to hold a massive demonstration of farmers in Bhopal. In December last year, thousands of farmers laid a siege on Bhopal, disrupting normal life for almost three days. The siege was lifted only after the Sangh was assured that urgent action would be taken to redress the grievances of the farmers. But nothing concrete has been done so far.

The farmers’ problems were further compounded by the extensive damage to the crops caused by frost in several parts of the state last month. Because of the extraordinary rise in the price of Arhar (a pulse), thousands of farmers across the state had sown Arhar this year, deserting the traditional crops they had been cultivating. Arhar turned out to be extremely vulnerable to damage by frost and the destruction of their crops gave a rude shock to farmers, especially the middle and marginal ones.

The Congress, which was so far rather lukewarm to the problems of the farmers, has suddenly become active, On Jan 29, the party decided to hold a march to the Raj Bhawan to handover a memo to the Governor. The police tried to stop the procession from proceeding towards the Governor House. To protest against the use of force by the policeman, the state Congress President Suresh Pachauri began an indefinite fast. After some time, he was hospitalised. The Chief Minister met Pachauri in the hospital and asked him to give up the fast. However, the latter turned down the request.

Meanwhile, reports about the suicides by farmers continue to pour in from different parts of the state. Almost everyday, newspapers carry reports of suicides by farmers. A report published on Feb 1 says, “Three farmers in three districts of the State tried to commit suicide yesterday after frost destroyed their crops. A farmer, along with his two minor sons, attempted suicide in a village near Saliwada in Jabalpur district. Ramji Marawi, 30 and his two sons Manoj, 4 and Manish, 8 have been admitted to the Jabalpur Medical college hospital. According to Chandrawati, wife of the farmer, her husband had consumed a pesticide and given it to his two sons too. She said that her husband was extremely depressed because the Arhar and Gram crops he had sown were completely destroyed.” Similar tragic stories are reaching Bhopal almost every day. (IPA Service)