Bhopal: Farmers perform ‘last rites’ of govt on final day of strike

BHOPAL: Farmers conducted symbolic last rites (pind daan) of the government and tonsured their heads in several parts of the state as a mark of protest on the last day of their 10-day agitation.
The farmers, who got together at Misrod on Sunday under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said that the government is taking absurd steps because “its soul is not at peace”.

Farmers perform 'Shiv Abhishek' to call off 10-day strike in Bhopal on Sunday.(PTI Photo)
“The government’s conscience died years ago. Last year, too, several promises were made but nothing was done. As per our tradition, the soul remains unsatisfied if last rites are not performed, and it does absurd things. So, as a symbolic protest, we are performing the last rites of the government according to rituals followed in our society,” state general secretary of BKU, Anil Yadav, told TOI. “We are being suppressed. The way the government reacted to our protests was simply undemocratic.”

Farmers perform various rituals to call off of 10-day strike in Bhopal on Sunday. (PTI Photo)
The farm agitation didn’t have much of an impact, apart from a rise in prices. The main demand of farmers was to provide 150% of input costs, but it didn’t get them anywhere.

Farmers feed cows to call off 10-day strike in Bhopal on Sunday. (PTI Photo)
On Sunday, during the closing hours of the agitation, about 100 farmers gathere at Misrod village on the outskirts of Bhopal. A priest was also called to perform the last rites and help the farmers do ‘pind daan’. Fifteen farmers got their heads tonsured and they offered fruits and vegetables to cows as per tradition.
The protests were not limited to Bhopal. “We did similar protests in Harda, Badwani, Jhabua and other districts. We will now observe ‘azadi divas’ tomorrow (Monday), when restrictions imposed on the farmers will end,” Yadav said.

The farmers got together at Misrod on Sunday under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union.TOI Photo

They said that the government is taking absurd steps because “its soul is not at peace”. TOI Photo

A priest was also called to perform the last rites and help the farmers do ‘pind daan’. TOI Photo

The protests were not limited to Bhopal. TOI Photo

“We did similar protests in Harda, Badwani, Jhabua and other districts. We will now observe ‘azadi divas’ tomorrow (Monday), when restrictions imposed on the farmers will end,” Yadav said. TOI Photo