Former PMs slam 'anti-farmer' policy

NEW DELHI, DEC. 14. Non-BJP and non-Congress parties today took to the streets opposing the agricultural policy of the Vajpayee Government and sought its immediate intervention to bail out distressed farmers.

Senior leaders, including three former Prime Ministers, Mr. S. Chandra Shekhar, Mr. V.P. Singh and Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda, slammed the Government's ``surrender'' to foreign dictates in allowing largescale import of food products. A large quantity of foreign- made agricultural products were consigned to flames amidst shouting of the slogan,``Atal Behari laya bhook mari (Atal Behari, you have brought us starvation)''. Enthusiastic leaders and supporters jostled with one another, so much so a portion of the makeshift stage collapsed, and SPG personnel had a tough time.

In his address, Mr. Chandra Shekhar charged the Government with ``hatching a conspiracy'' in making moves to sell or lease out even profit-making units. Time had come for the country to rethink the globalisation issue. ``I have been clamouring that we should make an objective study of what we gained and what we lost by this. But nobody seems willing to listen to me''.

Mr. Singh took strong exception to the withdrawal of quantative restrictions on the eve of the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's visit to India. ``When apples come, our Kashmir suffers, when wheat comes it is Punjab which bears the brunt,''. Asking for reinforcement of quantitative restrictions, Mr. Singh said ``it is the issue of survival and a people's directive to the Government, not a mere demand,''.

Describing the NDA regime as a Government of the rich, he said it had joined hands with rich and industrialists the world over.

The former Prime Minister said the poor, downtrodden and those involved in ``productive contribution to nation- building'' should come together and float a larger platform to challenge the ``anti-people'' policies of the Vajpayee Government. Mr. Gowda said the excuse that the Government was just abiding by a WTO clause was a ``misleading'' statement.

``The WTO could not influence my Government's decision in taking a number of corrective steps even though the WTO had been signed during Congress regime,'' Mr. Gowda said, adding ``Vajpayee cannot fool common people any longer''. The United Front regime had intervened in 1997-98 with a package of Rs. 500 crores to help farmers, and the Vajpayee Government should bail them out similarly by making a market intervention of Rs. 1000 crores.

- PTI

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