Anna Hazare threatens to launch 'last protest' for farmers if his demands are not met

Social activist Anna Hazare while speaking to reporters in his Ralegaon Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Sunday threatened to go on a hunger strike if his demands on issues concerning farmers are not met by the Union government by the end of January next year. Anna Hazare said that it would be his "last protest". The 83-year-old social activist has been holding protests for the farmers of the country since the last three years, but the government has done nothing to resolve the issues. 

Anna Hazare said, "The government is just giving empty promises due to which I do not have any trust left (in the government)...Let’s see, what action the Centre takes on my demands. They have sought time for a month, so I have given them time till January-end. If my demands are not met, I will resume my hunger strike protest. This would be my last protest."

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Anna Hazare threatens to resort to hunger strikes

Earlier on December 14, Hazare had written a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. In the letter, he warned the Minister of resorting to a hunger strike if his demands like the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee's recommendations and granting autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP), were not accepted. The social activist on December 8 had observed a fast in support of the Bharat Bandh called by farmers organizations in demand to repeal of the three farm bills. 

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However, a senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribaby Bagade recent met Hazare and explained him the details of the three contentious farm laws introduced by the Centre. 

Farmers' protest enters day 32

Thousands of agitating farmers at Delhi's borders on December 24 remained steadfast in their demand to repeal the Centre's three new agricultural laws. Security remained tight at the Delhi borders with hundreds of personnel deployed at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri where thousands of farmers have been staging their protests for nearly a month now. However, amid rampant politicisation of these groups' demands and the Supreme Court also hearing petitions related to the matter, several farmer groups from various states have also backed the agriculture reforms.

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Earlier on December 23, the anti-reform farmers hardened their position and asked the government not to repeat the proposal of "meaningless" amendments that they have already rejected but come up with a "concrete" offer in writing for the resumption of talks. Reading out a reply to the government's talks offer during a press conference, farmer leaders said they are ready for dialogue with an open mind if they get a concrete proposal, but made it clear they will not accept anything less than a complete repeal of the three agriculture laws and legal guarantee for MSP.

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(With PTI inputs)