Gujarat: Farmers perform last rites for electricity; protest against night supply

Farmers of Upleta Panthak village in Gujarat have become agitated after the officials including District Collector ignored their demand for day time power supply instead of night. They held out a funeral procession for electricity and performed last rites. The farmers threatened to intensify protests if officials did not solve their problem.

Rajkot (Gujarat): Farmers of Upleta Panthak near Rajkot in Gujarat have observed a novel protest by carrying out cremation of electricity in protest against night time supply of power. They say they are facing a lot of difficulties due to power supply at night. They are demanding day time supply to spare them from cold weather and attacks by wild animals at night.

The farmers' demand comes in the wake of incidents of some ryots losing their lives on account of exposure to various threats during night time work in agriculture fields. In Upleta Panthak, the farmers are forced to work in the fields in the cold due to night time supply. They are falling ill with deadly cold diseases and many other health problems. Nowadays, cases have surfaced where farmers have died while working in the fields in cold weather. Hence, the farmers are seeking changes in power supply timings.

Talking to ETV Bharat, the protesting farmers said that if electricity is available during the day instead of at night, many problems of theirs will be solved. There is also a danger of wild animals attacking them in the fields at night. The farmers of Upleta Panthak conducted funeral rights for electricity to highlight and place their demand before the government.

Also, the farmers protested against the method of providing electricity to the farm fields at night. A former president of Upleta Taluka Panchayat has also demanded that the government should protect the farmers and their families. Farmers gathered here and held protest in the fields by performing last rites to electricity, a protest against the government that has happened for the first time in a village in support of day time power supply.

Before undertaking this unique protest, the farmers have talked to the collector about their problems. But when no solution was found, the farmers took out an electricity cremation yatra. The farmers have threatened to intensify their agitation further if the authorities concerned did not take timely measures to resolve their hardships.