New Delhi: The federal government on June 7 rushed 1,100 riot-control policemen to Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh where farmers stir turned violent following the death of six peasants a day earlier.
Around 600 personnel of the Rapid Action Force, a specialized anti-riots force, have already reached Mandsaur to assist the local administration, a home ministry official said. Another batch of 500 was sent later, report agencies.
The government had imposed curfew in some areas such as Parshvanath area under Pipaliya Mandi police station, thefarmers had set fire to vehicles and thrown stones at the police.
The farmers, who have been on a strike since June 1 to press for higher minimum prices for their produce and a waiver of their debts, heckled Mandsaur’s collector on June 7 when he tried to pacify them.
When farmers blocked a road in Berkheda Panth area, 18 km from Mandsaur, the district’s collector, S.K. Singh, and police chief Omprakash Tripathi tried to get them to clear the road and were pushed around.
Farmers dumped vegetables and milk on the roads when the strike kicked off last week, demanding a debt waiver and better prices for their produce.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan appealed to farmers to keep the peace and accused the opposition Congress party of being behind violence that broke out at the protests.
”The government is with the farmers,” he told television news agency ANI, a Reuters affiliate. “Some people want to ruin the atmosphere. Stay away from such people.”
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was expected to visit Mandsaur on Jun3 7. “This government is at war with the farmers of our country,” he said on Twitter.
The Maharashtra farmers’ strike entered its seventh day, despite an assurance from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that the state would waive distressed farmers’ debts before October 31.
The Madhya Pradesh bandh called by the Congress affected some western parts of the state, but petrol pumps, markets and other establishments remained open in Bhopal.
Farmers’ leaders say the six were shot dead by police, a version questioned by the state government, which has ordered an investigation.
”We will continue our protest until the government accepts our demands,” said Sunil Gaur of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh, or National Farm Workers’ Union, which called Wednesday’s state-wide shutdown.
”The government has complicated the situation by killing six innocent farmers.”
The district collector had said on Tuesday that the police categorically told him that they did not open fire at the protesters.
The collector said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the firing incident. Mobile and Internet services have been suspended in Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch districts to check the spread of rumors.