Mumbai (Maharashtra): Farmers across the nation have decided to boycott all products of the Adani Group and Reliance Industries Limited, including the widely-used Reliance owned Jio mobile telecom services.
Farmers have been protesting against the three farm laws which were passed by the Parliament of India in September 2020.
The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
The farmers, who have launched a protest since November 26, are adamant on seeking the complete rollback of the three farm laws that provide a framework to contractual farming, ease limits on stocking and allow the cultivators to bypass the mandis and directly sell their produce to the private players.
The government has repeatedly asserted that the MSP and Mandi systems will stay and has accused the opposition of misleading the farmers.
Also read: Govt doesn’t listen easily, farmers had to share their woes: Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait
Expressing solidarity with the farmers, thousands of farmers from Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Beed, Amravati and other parts of the state called on Ambani's office in BKC to support them. Farmers gathered at the Bandra District Collector's Office from where they tried to march towards BKC. But they were stopped by the police at RNA Park near the Collector's office. Meanwhile, a heavy police presence was deployed in the area.
Along with the leader of Swabhimani Paksha Raju Shetti, senior labour leader Baba Adhav, farmer leaders Jayant Patil, Kapil Patil and Prakash Reddy had joined the agitation while many other leaders were stooped by the police to join the march.
Thousands of activists of the Prahar organization also joined the march and demanded the withdrawal of the Agriculture Bill. Meanwhile, Raju Shetti said that the farmers protesting at Delhi borders are not alone as farmers across the country are behind them. He also appealed to people to boycott all Adani and Ambani products including Jio sims.
Meanwhile, social activist Anna Hazare has expressed concern over the farmer protests and said that the Centre has not kept its promises.
Also read: Explained: How new farm bills will increase India’s agrarian distress
