Anna Hazare says he will launch 'Jail Bharo Andolan'

Rangoli (Assam), Mar 20: Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare today said a 'jail bharo aandolan' will be started across the country taking up the questions raised by farmers and demanded a separate Krishi Ayog for them.

Addressing the biennial conference of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Parishad here, Hazare said, he will start the Aandolan at the end of his three-month countrywide tour from April next raising questions on the condition of farmers after the Independence.

"I will tour 10 states and address people there. We have to raise the farmers questions and ask what is the condition of the farmers today even after 68 years of achieving the Independence," he said while addressing the KMSS conference.

"The farmers' condition remains the same. Only the dalals (middlemen) are constructing buildings. This has to be changed," he asserted. "Fill up the jails and leave no place vacant in the jails. Going to jail for our society and country is our ornament," Hazare exhorted the people.

"Even after 68 years of Independence no land mapping has been done. Land should be classified and only the agriculturally useless land should be given to industrialists on lease with the farmers earning an income from their land," he said.

"There should be a Krishi Ayog for farmers to receive suitable price for their produce. Then there will be no suicide by farmers," he said.

"Whichever government, Congress or BJP, is in power should be a performing government. The earlier Congress government went, then a new government came at the Centre with the promise of 'acche din aayenge' for the poor," Hazare said.

"Six months have passed and no 'acche din' we have seen for the common man and farmers. Only the rich have seen good days. So we had to start this aandolan," Hazare said.

"We are not happy with the role of the government in the Land Acquisition Bill. Irrigated land is given to industrialists. Earlier which ever farmer's land is acquired by government, permission of 80 per cent of the people in the village is required. But this government has removed that. No difference with the pre-Independence colonial power," he said.

PTI