Maharashtra: Parbhani draped in pink as farmers take to roads

Farmers took out a massive rally in Parbhani in Maharashtra and staged a peaceful demonstration demanding the implementation of the Telangana model to stop farmers' suicides that continued unabated in Maharashtra

Hyderabad: Farmers took out a massive rally in the district headquarters town of Parbhani in Maharashtra and staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the office of the District Collector under the leadership of Manik Rao Kadam, State president of the Bharat Rashtra Kisan Samiti demanding the implementation of the Telangana model to stop farmers’ suicides that continued unabated in Maharashtra.

Thousands of farmers, who joined the rally, demanded that recommendations made by senior bureaucrat Sunil Kendrekar be implemented immediately to stop suicides by farmers. The recommendations were not considered so far and the bureaucrat, obviously hurt by the way the administration had responded to his report, opted for voluntary retirement a couple of months ago.

As the Divisional Commissioner of Marathwada, Sunil Kendrekar had conducted a survey covering one million farmers. As per the survey findings, forty percent of the farmers surveyed were in a depressed state. One lakh of the farmers surveyed were in grip of serious financial distress and suicide tendencies are quite evident in a majority of them.

As a solution to this, he suggested plans based on the Telangana model of assistance extended by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to the farming community to be replicated in Maharashtra also. The government which received this report quite some time ago, remained unmoved and more than 10 farmers were committing suicides every day in Marathwada.

Of late the farmers in distress were ending their lives in suicide pact with family members too. After a farmer couple committed suicide together at Navalgaon in Palam Taluk of Parbhani district, Manik Rao Kadam had called for the protest march and the response was overwhelming. The streets of Parbhani were draped in pink as thousands joined the protest.

State leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Kisan Samiti, Yuva Agadhi leader Sudhir Bindu and a host of leaders including Kalidas Apet, Pawan Karwar, Ramesh Mane, Amritrao Shinde, Ram Latke, Bhagwan Sanap, Bhagwan Shinde, Vishwambhar Gorve, Balasaheb Alane, Prakash Bhosle, Manchak Solanke and Jafar Tarodekar were among those who addressed the rally.