Congress use cops to silence farmers as unrest continues across Telangana
Unrest among farmers is continuing in the State, with Thursday witnessing a crude attempt by the Congress government to quell their voices before they took their protest to the State capital.
Hyderabad/Kodangal: With the promised crop loan waiver yet to reach several lakhs of farmers across the State more than a month after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy‘s promised deadline of August 15, unrest among farmers is continuing in the State, with Thursday witnessing a crude attempt by the Congress government to quell their voices before they took their protest to the State capital.
Starting right from the Chief Minister’s own constituency of Kodangal, farmers came out in large numbers on to the street in response to a call by farmers’ unions for a ‘Chalo Praja Bhavan’ protest programme, but were either placed under house arrest or bundled into police vehicles and detained for hours so that they would not be able to reach Hyderabad. In Bomraspet mandal in Revanth Reddy’s Kodangal constituency, farmers, including dalits actually were continuing their protest for the third consecutive day when they were taken into custody. Demanding waiver of their crop loans, they were demonstrating in front of the State Bank of India when the police took the farmers and their union leaders into custody.
However, undeterred by the police crackdown, several organisations cutting across political affiliations participated in the protests. “In many villages, 50 per cent of farmers are yet to get their crop loans waived. Officials are insisting on ration cards despite the State government announcing that the ration cards were not mandatory for the crop loan waiver,” said SC, ST, BC Minority Hakkula Porata Samiti district president Chandraiah.
“As per the Warangal Rythu Declaration, the Congress government should also extend financial assistance to tenant farmers and farm labourers,” Lambadi Hakkula Porata Samithi chief Surya Naik said. Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi district president Subash and others were also part of the protests.
Across the State meanwhile, farmers who planned a massive ‘Chalo Praja Bhavan‘ protest programme saw police swooping down on their homes since Wednesday night and detaining them citing concerns of disruption of law and order. The protest, driven by the demand for an unconditional loan waiver, gained significant traction, especially after a viral social media post by a young farmer who called for collective action from farmers across villages, mandals, and districts. Farmers were organising the protests voluntarily, though in several areas, BRS workers came out declaring support to them.
Though a few farmers dared all odds and arrived at Praja Bhavan, the police personnel deployed in huge numbers put up barricades, preventing them from entering the Praja Bhavan. Several farmers including senior citizens were detained and shifted to police stations. In some cases, farmers who were coming to Hyderabad in buses, were made to alight midway and sent back or taken to nearby police stations. Families of the detained farmers expressed outrage, accusing the government of undemocratic actions.
Farmers were also already staging protests outside banks and government offices in multiple districts over the last few weeks against the State government’s failure to fulfill its complete crop loan waiver promise. There is growing anger among farmers against the Congress-led State government, which had previously vowed to waive off all crop loans upto Rs 2 lakh, if voted into power. However, more than 20 lakh of 40 lakh farmers did not benefit from the scheme which was implemented with numerous conditions.
With the State Cabinet meeting scheduled on Friday, farmers planned to build pressure on the State government into taking decisive action on loan waiver. Using social media platforms like WhatsApp and X, they coordinated with each other and planned to stage protests at the Praja Bhavan on Thursday. Farmers’ unions joined the protests, urging various social groups to join their cause, with mounting concerns over the increasing number of farmer suicides due to loan pressures.
Reacting to the police crackdown on the farmers, BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the arrests and criticised the State government’s actions. He demanded the immediate release of those arrested, questioning why Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy felt so threatened by the peaceful protests of farmers.
He charged the authorities with unlawful detention of farmers since Wednesday night. “Are they criminals or terrorists to create a law and order situation? This unjust action will not break the spirit of the farmers,” he posted on X, adding that the movement would continue despite the arrests. He extended support to the just demands of the farmers and the fight for fulfilling them.
Former Ministers and senior leaders T Harish Rao, S Niranjan Reddy and several other BRS leaders too extended their support to farmers in their fight. Social media was flooded with messages with farmers reiterating their determination to reach Praja Bhavan one day and stage their protest. Chanting slogans like “a nation without farmers cannot thrive,” they vowed to continue their protest against the unjust treatment.
