TCN News
Youth 4 Swaraj (Y4S), a student wing of Yogendra Yadav led farmer dedicated movement Swaraj Abhiyan is launching a youth oriented nationwide farmers’ movement from Jantar-Mantar, New Delhi on July 18.
For this nationwide campaign, Y4S has started a campaign titled ‘Main bhi Kisan ki Santan’ (I, too a farmer’s offspring).
The movement follows the ‘Kisan Mukti Yatra’ that began on July 6 from Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. The Kisan Mukti Yatra began with the twin objectives of ‘Rin Mukti aur Poor Daam’ (Debt Free Farmer & Remunerative Price).
As the Yatra was beginning from Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, in a desperate attempt to prevent the Yatra from proceeding, Madhya Pradesh Police arrested several farmer leaders including Yogendra Yadav. The statement from Y4S said, “But that did not deter the leaders of Kisan Mukti Yatra from proceeding with the Yatra and with the joint effort of hundreds of farmers’ organisations spread across the country, the movement has become bigger and stronger today. ”
The Yatra which has already covered Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat is at present in Rajasthan and is scheduled to cover Haryana & Uttar Pradesh before it reaches Delhi on July 18.
Statement from Y4S and Swaraj Abhiyan said, “Our country is going through a major agricultural crisis with farmers submerged in debt. This crisis has reached such a level that everyday the news of farmers committing suicide comes from one part of the country or other. We are living in such times that farmers who are feeding the nation are unable to feed their own families. And when they fail to pay their debts, they are subjected to such cruel defamation that they give up their lives.”
Moreover, it said, “Farmers have to suffer not only during natural calamities like drought. After suffering from drought for two years, when the farmers witnessed a good yield this year, they are again faced with a situation where they are suffering from heavy loses. Added to this is the fact that on most occasions, the government has failed to purchase the crops that farmers have produced. And Kisan Mukti Yatra has been successful in highlighting the failures of promises of the government at such times. This farmers movement has emerged as the a ray of hope for the country and to keep this hope alive, the farmers need the support of the youth.”
Making an appeal to the youth to join the farmers’ movement, Manish Kumar, National Convener for Y4S said, “The time has come for youth to contribute their energy towards the farmers’ movement that is going on in the country.”
He further stated, “This fight is not just for saving farmers or farming. This is the fight of every citizen, every youth of this country. It is only when farmers and farming will survive that the country’s villages will be able to sustain. And only when the villages will be able to sustain, the cities can survive. And this inter-dependency makes this farmers’ fight a fight of every citizen in this country. In fighting for the rights of the farmers, lives real nationalism.”
Students from various universities such as Delhi University, JNU, Jamia Milia and several colleges in the capital have offered their support with the farmers’ movement from July 18 at Jantar Mantar.