Farmer union urges people to surrender Jio sim cards to protest farm bills

All India Krishak Sabha, Tripura unit, has extended its support to the protests led by farmers at the national capital against new farm bills. The AIKS has requested people to reject services of Jio network and surrender subscriptions in order to extend moral support to the protests of farmers.

Tripura: Extending solidarity towards the ceaseless protests led by farmers at the national capital against new farm bills, AIKS' (All India Krishak Sabha) Tripura unit on Thursday requested people to reject services of Jio network and surrender subscriptions in order to extend moral support to the protests of farmers.

Addressing the media, AIKS state secretary Pabitra Kar said, "a resolution has been passed by the farmers' organizations that the cess counters owned by Ambanis and Adanis would be boycotted. In our state, no such counters were there but a considerable population was subscribed to Jio network for cell phone connection. The AIKS leaders had already surrendered their Jio connections or switched over to other networks. In order to wage moral support towards the protestors, I would like to request all the citizens of Tripura to surrender Jio Sim cards."

Justifying this protest, he explained, the Bills had been introduced and passed with a veiled interest of serving the purposes of Ambanis and Adanis and thus this resolution was passed in the state Conference of AIKS held on Wednesday last.

Speaking on the ongoing farmers' protests, he said, this is the longest and largest movement of independent India. Spontaneous support had been pouring in from different quarters of the society and as per the latest information not less than 4 lakh farmers had assembled at the national capital braving all the challenges thrown by bone-shivering chill, he added saying that the movement was showing no signs to stop but expanding across the country.

However, Kar also lashed out at the ruling BJP-IPFT government and claimed that the condition of farmers in the state was the worst of all time. "This is the season of Amon paddy but the supply of seeds has been disrupted. In the sowing season of potato, the farmers get no government support but have sourced seeds from markets. The season of Boro paddy is round the corner but the irrigation facilities that are available right now are out of operation. Not less than 70 to 75 percent irrigation facilities are not available for use and in this situation when the concerned officials are asked about the matter they give a reply that no funds are allocated for this purpose and farmers have to fix it on their own", Kar alleged.

Speaking on the impasse over border fencing, he said, in the Amon season, not less than 100 Kanis of land can not be cultivated in the bordering Motinagar area just because of the strict border vigil. He had also alleged that the state government had failed to buy paddy through FCI this year.

The AIKS would also organize a constitution pledge and a sit-in demonstration on January 01 and January 04 respectively.