Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat, led a massive farmers’ protest on Saturday, demanding an increase in compensation for disaster-affected farmers. The demonstration, organized jointly by the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee and the Uttarakhand Kishan Congress Committee, witnessed Harish Rawat’s arrival at the protest site on a tractor, galvanizing a massive crowd of supporters.
Police barricades halted many Congress workers attempting to join the demonstration. The police strategically placed barricades near Hathibarkala, obstructing the path of Congress members en route to the protest site. Harish Rawat expressed his discontent over the police’s actions, alleging that the government had purposely attempted to impede Congress workers from participating in the protest. Rawat affirmed the party’s commitment to advocating for farmers’ issues.
The central demand of the protest, voiced by Harish Rawat, is an increase in compensation for farmers impacted by natural disasters. Rawat outlined four specific demands from the government:
- Farmers should receive compensation of Rs 10,000 per bigha of land.
- Waiver of farmers’ electricity and water bills for the past six months.
- Timely settlement of dues to farmers through the sugarcane mills.
- Postponement of farmers’ loan repayments with an accompanying waiver of interest.
Harish Rawat said that if these demands are not met by October 20, farmers will stage a blockade in Dehradun and disrupt the national highway. Rawat expressed his dissatisfaction with the state government’s announced compensation of Rs 1,100 per bigha, labeling it as inadequate. In a show of protest, some farmers even expressed their intention to return the meager compensation. Farmers also demanded a revised minimum support price (MSP) for sugarcane.
This protest follows Rawat’s visit to the demonstration site on the preceding Friday when he expressed unwavering support for the farmers and assured them that the Congress party stands firmly by their side. He urged that the compensation should be set at a minimum of Rs 10,000 per bigha, citing that during his tenure as Chief Minister, the compensation for such cases was Rs 8,000 per bigha.
Despite the police preventing Congress workers from reaching the protest site, prominent state Congress leaders, including State President Karan Mahara, Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, Deputy Leader of Opposition Bhuvan Kapri, Bhagwanpur MLA Mamta Rakesh and former state President Ganesh Godiyal joined the protest.
