Farmers hold ‘funeral’ protest in Yavatmal to press for demand of complete loan waiver

Thousands of people managed to congregate despite the crackdown at Yavatmal police station and held a meeting where the leaders condemned the “state repression”. The agitationists had arranged for 100 live funerals” but the police seized all the material before it could be taken out.

Wankhede told The Indian Express, “It was unprecedented repression in the history of farmers’ agitation. The government has proved that farmers are their greater enemy than Pakistan and China. But we did manage to hold the symbolic protest and later a public meeting sending a strong signal about how agitated the farmers in the state are.”

Wankhede added, “The loan waiver announced by the government is deceitful because it waives only Rs 1.5 lakh. The conditions imposed are unjust. Anyone with a four-wheeler, which may include a tractor, is not eligible. The Rs 10,000 assistance to buy inputs has also not been paid so far. The fact that farmers turned out for agitation despite the repression is an indicator of their displeasure and the government should take note of it.”

Wankhede rapped the Congress for issuing a release against the agitation. “Shivajirao Moghe issued the release only betraying his party’s indifference towards farmers. Manikrao Thakre also shied away. But young leaders like Devanand Pawar (Congress) and Pravin Deshmukh (NCP) defied the party line to participate,” Wankhede added.

Asked about the format of the agitation, Wankhede said, “Why did the state government bother? Farmers are dying anyway, so what’s the big deal?” Yavatmal district, incidentally, is known for the maximum number of farmers’ suicides in the state.