Anna Hazare to begin indefinite fast over farmers’ issues from January 30

Ahmednagar: Social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has confirmed that he will begin an indefinite fast from January 30 at his hometown Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar, district of Maharashtra over various demands related to farmers. He has also urged his supporters to protest from their respective locations.

"I have been agitating for the crucial demands of farmers for the last four years. It seems like the government is not taking proper decisions on the issue of farmers. The government is not sensitive towards the farmers," the 84-year-old activist stated in a press statement on Thursday. Hazare alleged that the Centre has been ignoring his pleas of the farmers’ issues.

"We have kept our demands before the Central Government time and again. I have written letters to the Prime Minister and Union Agriculture Minister five times in the last three months. Representatives of the government are discussing the matter but they haven't reached a proper solution regarding the demands so far," he added. 

Detailing his struggles, Hazare said he had launched a hunger strike in Delhi on March 23, 2018, after which the PMO gave a written assurance on March 29 on the MSP demand and other issues.

The government did not comply with the same forcing him to go on another strike in Ralegan-Siddhi from January 30, 2019, and a week later, the Union Agriculture Minister and then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis discussed the issue with him.

"After 6 hours of talks, I was again given a written assurance about the decision. But no concrete action has been taken on it till date. Assurance is a promise. If the government does not keep it (promise) then how will the country and society get a bright future," Hazare asked.

Even today, farmers continue to commit suicide, they don`t get the right price for their agriculture produce, and the Centre claims it has implemented the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission, but the facts are otherwise, Hazare claimed.

"Government representatives keep coming here and discussing, but till date, no proper solution has been arrived at on the farmers' demands," he added. Hazare expressed his grief at the violent incidents that rocked the January 26 farmers movement in New Delhi, and he stressed on the need for a `non-violent agitation`.

"In the past 40 years, I have organised many agitations. The Lokpal Movement was in New Delhi where lakhs of people from across India joined, but not a stone was thrown. Peace is the power for this struggle, which Gandhiji has taught us," he said.

While he would take up the hunger strike alone in his village, Hazare appealed to all his supporters to take similar peaceful agitations in their respective villages in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

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