Farmers stop exporting tomatoes to Pakistan in wake of Pulwama attack

NEW DELHI/ BHOPAL: In wake of deadly Pulwama attack, farmers from Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district have decided to stop exporting vegetables to Pakistan. 

Nearly 5000 farmers, engaged in tomato cultivation, have supported the decision of the community to mark their protest against the terror attack that claimed the lives of at least 40 soldiers. 

"We are farmers and we grow tomatoes. We also export tomatoes to Pakistan. And by eating our food, they are killing our soldiers. We now want Pakistan to get destroyed. We will also not let any other country sent tomatoes to Pakistan," Ravindra Patidar, a farmer told ANI.

"We are no more concerned about the prices of tomato getting exported. If there will be no soldiers, how will (we) survive. All the surplus money coming from export will go in vain," said Basanti Lal Patidar, a large-scale tomato cultivator.

Delhi's Azadpur Mandi, India's largest wholesale market for agriculture produce, also exports a large amount of vegetables to Pakistan. According to Tomato Trade Association's president Ashok Kaushik, the market sends 75-100 trucks of tomatoes to Pakistan. 

The mandi has also decided not to send any produce to Pakistan. 

Currently, tomatoes in India are selling at Rs 10 per kg while in Lahore the prices have skyrocketed to Rs 180 per kg, according to a journalist who's covering the  South Asia region, reported DNA. 

Lauding the move by the farmers, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said, "I salute the decision taken by the brothers of Jhabua District of not selling the tomatoes to Pakistan. I admire their patriotism."

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the government has decided to stop India's share of water which used to flow to Pakistan. Gadkari said in a tweet that water from Eastern rivers will be diverted to Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

"The construction of dam has started at Shahpur- Kandi on Ravi river. Moreover, UJH project will store our share of water for use in J&K and the balance water will flow from 2nd Ravi-BEAS Link to provide water to other basin states," he said in another tweet.

India already withdrew the status of Most Favourable Nation (MNF) to Pakistan in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack.