Kottayam — Farmers and planters have come together to protest a slide in commodity prices.
The collective of farmers’ movements is not a fight against political parties, but a struggle for survival, Infam national patron and Kanjirappally bishop Mar Mathew Arakkal said here on Wednesday. He was inaugurating a fast organised by the collective called ‘The People.’
Though there are many farmers’ collectives, they could not work effectively to ensure better prices for farmers. That is the reason for the formation of The People, he said.
Farmers should strive to enforce their rights in a society that turns a blind eye towards their problems, he said. They should change in accordance with the times and implement different agricultural practices, he added.
When farmers turn researchers, it will usher in a new agricultural revolution, he said.
The collective called upon the farmers to be wary of the political parties who went back on their promises, Manoramaonline reported.
The meeting urged the Union government to set straight the shortcomings of the land acquisition law, pull back the increase in taxes and withdraw the ecologically fragile land law. The government was also asked to reject the Meena Kumari Commission report on the fisheries sector and to give fishermen fishing equipment and kerosene for their boats in subsidised rates.
The government should give unconditional title deeds to the deserving sections on the high ranges and ease revenue recovery activities against farmers, the meeting said.
The meeting also asked the Union government to implement the Swaminathan Commission report that proposed a minimum price for crops. The BJP government has to keep its poll promises, the collective urged.
Other demands included the procurement of rubber at a fair price using the price stability fund, a solution to the crisis in the cardamom sector and the introduction of farmers’ pension equivalent to government employees.
Archbishop Kuriakose Mar Severios, Changanassery Diocese Archbishop Mar Joseph Perumthottam, Pala Diocese Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Vijayapuram Diocese Bishop Dr. Sebastian Thekkathecheriyil, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Kottayam Bishop Mar Thomas Mar Thimothios, Farmers’ Guidance chairman, P.C. Joseph, High Range Protection Committee convener Fr Sebastain Kochupurakkal and High Range Protection Committee patron Muhammed Rafeeq Maulavi also spoke.
Karshaka Vedi president Jose Puthett, Infam Kannur chairman Fr. Joseph Ottaplakkal, The People coordinator V.C Sebastian, Karshaka Samajam Palakkad district secretary Muhalamthode Mani, Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation secretary T. Peter, Kuttanad Vikasana Samithi director Fr. Thomas Peeliyanikkal, Kottayam district panchayat president Nirmala Jimmy, V.V. Augustine, Karshaka Vedi secretary Joseph Thomas Vettath, Jose Mathew, C.K. Mohanan, Justice P.K. Shamsuddeen, John Joseph, Joy Joseph, Jose Edappatt, V.J. Lali and Dr Jacob Vadakkumchery also spoke.