BJP-Government Tries to Suppress Maharashtra Dairy Farmers’ Protest

Ahead of the Maharashtra dairy farmers protest on July 16, the BJP-led state government launched all possible ways to repress the struggle of the farmers. On the evening of July 15, activists from Sangamner and other places in Ahmadnagar district were detained and are now in police lock-ups.

“Ahead of today’s protest, a bunch of activists including the Maharashtra state secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Ajit Nawale, got notices from the state police,” AIKS national president Ashok Dhawle, told Newsclick.

Also Read: Has There Been an MSP Hike for Kharif Crops?

Ignoring the hardships of the farmers, the notice warned the activists that they would be responsible for the events that take place during the protest and that the activist would be held if something happens. The notice further raised certain concerns over the day-to-day life of the public.

As per the call of the Shri Raju Shetty led Swabhiman Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), on July 16, Maharashtra dairy farmers halted milk supply across the state— especially to Mumbai— to iterate their long-pending demands. The protest backed by AIKS in Maharashtra and the Milk Producers Struggle Committee, who have been leading a struggle on the same issue for the last three months, put forward the demands of the farmers. The main demands of the farmers are to ensure the procurement prices as fixed by the state government, and Good and Services Tax (GST) waiver for milk products and butter.

Also Read: MSP For One Third of Total Production. What About the Rest?

Though the state government had fixed the procurement price of milk as Rs.27 per litre, farmers across the state have been getting only Rs.17 per litre.

“The government should intervene to ensure that the dairy farmers get at least the procurement price fixed by the state government. Moreover, the private companies that produce various dairy products including milk powder, have been selling their products at a very high rate, while the farmers are getting a meagre amount,” said Ajit Nawale while speaking to Newsclick.

Earlier, the government had announced a hike of Rs. 3 per litre in subsidy, to milk cooperatives in the organised sector that process milk into milk powder and the farmers’ bodies, at that time, pointed out that the amount was not enough to meet the demands of the farmers.

Also Read: Dealing with Agrarian Crisis or Hoodwinking Farmers

In Maharashtra, various farmers’ organisations have been continuously raising the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk. Fifty percent increase in the sum of paid-out cost or C2 was one of the key demands during the farmers’ 11-day long strike, which started on June 1, 2017. The government was then forced to announce a procurement price of Rs.27. The farmers somehow managed to get the fixed procurement price till August 2017. The dairies have slashed the prices ever since.

Following this, the farmers highlighted the issues during various protests and struggles including the Kisan Long march. During the historic Kisan Long March, the government had assured the farmers that it would intervene in this matter within a period of one and a half months. Since the government had failed to keep its promises, the Maharashtra dairy farmers again took to the streets last May and June. Obviously, the promises made by the government are yet to be implemented.

Later, in a press statement, AIKS also demanded that “the state government stop this repression forthwith and immediately concede and implement the demands of the milk farmers who are suffering severe losses for the last several months.”

Also Watch: Farmers' Wrath will Haunt Modi and BJP: Vijoo Krishnan