Farmers in this district of Maharashtra have launched a novel way of protest to draw the State Government's attention to their problems and demands.
The 'sowing not' agitation was initially launched in village Gharefal under Ner tehsil which is now spreading fast to other villages. The agitation, which entails boycott of sowing, has caused concern among people and administration.
It all started when residents of Gharefal recently met local Tehsildar Nima Arora and submitted a memorandum about their decision of not undertaking sowing hereafter.
Followed by Gharefal, the farmers of Umartha under Ner tehsil, at a Gram Sabha (village meet) held yesterday, resolved to join the agitation and declared they would not go for sowing from this season onwards.
A similar decision was taken by farmers the same day at a well-attended Gram Sabha of Sukli under Arni tehsil. They marched to Tehsil office and a delegation submitted a memorandum to Tehsildar Hanumant Rajanalwar, declaring their decision to join the "sowing not" stir.
Rajanalwar, after hearing out the delegation, advised them to refrain from the stir, saying it would send a wrong message to other farmers and its result will not be good.
Though Shetkari Sanghatana leaders Amar Habib, Chandrakant Wankhede and Washim ZP member Gajanan Amdabadkar have paid a visit to these villages to know the problems of peasants, none of the bureaucrats or people's representatives has met the agitating agriculturists so far.
Sarpanch of Gharefal Sahebrao Zod said the villagers were forced to take such an extreme decision due to the "anti- farmer" attitude of the State Government.
"We have been demanding adequate financial assistance to meet the expenses of farming and a competitive MSP to our agriculture produce. Unfortunately, our demands have fallen on deaf ears and there is no ray of hope in sight, forcing us to take the 'no sowing' decision," Zod said.
President of Vidarbha Shetkari Vikas Samiti Pintoo Patil Khode accused the Government of ignoring the problems faced by the farmers.
"There is crop failure for the last three consecutive years. The banks do not give loan to the debt-ridden farmers. Hundreds of hectares of land in the district are lying vacant as the farmers do not have fund to sustain farming," he said.
Sarpanch of village Sukli Subhash Jadhav has demanded Rs 20,000 financial assistance for kharif crops, supply of free seeds and fertilisers. He has said sowing-to-harvesting works must be done through MGNREGA.
Meanwhile, District Collector Sachindra Pratap Singh has asked members of public to suggest effective measures to tackle farmer suicides.
