Nationwide kisan march enters Mysuru, seer urges govt to act

Mysuru: Avadhoota Datta Peetham seer Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami on Wednesday urged the govts to pay special attention to alleviating farmers' hardships.He addressed the participants of the farmers' awareness march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, organised in collaboration with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and state farmer organisations, which arrived in Mysuru via Chamarajanagar on Wednesday.
Welcoming the marchers at the Avadhoota Datta Peetham, the seer emphasised the critical role of farmers, calling them the backbone of the nation. He said soldiers rely on the food produced by farmers to safeguard the country, and govts must therefore prioritise addressing agricultural issues.In his introductory remarks, national co-coordinator Kuruburu Shanthakumar explained the objective of the march. Drawing parallels with the pre-Independence era, he said that just as the British arrived for trade and ended up ruling India, present-day agreements with the US—made by those in power—are proving detrimental to farmers.He recalled that during the year-long farmers' movement at the Delhi borders, Union minister Piyush Goyal held five meetings lasting five hours each, promising support for five agricultural products, but no action followed. Last year, when another protest was launched, the Supreme Court formed a committee that submitted a farmer-friendly report, yet no decision was taken, he said.Shanthakumar also noted that a 31-member parliamentary committee had recommended an MSP guarantee law, but this too saw no progress. He pointed out that the Swaminathan Commission report—submitted in 2007 during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure—was promised implementation by PM Narendra Modi in 2014, but the Centre later told the Supreme Court it was not feasible. "This was disappointing," he said.He added that during British rule, when farmers warned of protests, the administration responded swiftly to resolve their issues, whereas today's governments act indifferently. "Farmers must stand against this," he said, announcing a massive gathering on March 19 at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.The ongoing 40-day nationwide march aims to collect signatures from farmers and submit a representation to the Prime Minister, urging him to come to Delhi to address their concerns.Farmer leaders from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab were among the hundreds who participated in the march.