Politics enters grain markets, SAD leaders remain missing
Wednesday, 29/04/2015
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BATHINDA: With delayed procurement and slow lifting of paddy, politics has entered the grain markets in the state with Congress leaders visiting them and meeting farmers to express sympathy with them. Not only the state-level leaders have done so, but even national vice-president of the party is visiting the markets.
However, very few ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders have dared to visit the grain markets to assess the situation and meet the aggrieved farmers.
Former Congress legislator Harminder Singh Jassi and Gidderbaha Congress MLA and Youth Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring were the first to visit the grain markets.
Both Jassi and Warring visited grain markets of Bathinda and Muktsar last weekend and now Rahul Gandhi has planned to visit grain markets.
Bathinda’s SAD legislator Sarup Chand Singla had kicked off the procurement in the Bathinda grain market, however no SAD leader has visited the markets since then. Similarly, no SAD leader visited the grain markets in Mansa district also.
Muktsar is the home district of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and none from the ruling Badal family has also visited the local grain markets which are badly choked and farmers are facing lot of harassment. Malout legislator Harpreet Singh is among the few SAD leaders who have been making repeated visits to grain markets.
Grain markets have always remained favourite venues for politicians during the procurement season.
Captain Amarinder Singh, during his tenure as chief minister from 2002-2007, had assured that no farmer will be forced to spend more than three days in the market for selling his produce. But, now there seem to be no parameters and farmers have been forced to spend days together to sell their produce.
“Politicians only come when procurement is smooth. But, as now everything is messed up, it is time for opposition leaders to visit grain markets. Farmers are forced to watch this drama,” said Balwinder Singh, a farmer from Multania village in the grain market of Bathinda.
In the absence of ruling party politicians, administrative officials have been making rounds of grain markets. It seems SAD leaders are in a fix, otherwise they love to pose before cameras for anything.
