Farmers finally suspend jal satyagraha after 32 days

INDORE: After 32 days of protest against increasing height of Omkareshwar dam from 189 metre to 191 metre before rehabilitation, dam oustees suspended their Jal Satyagraha on Tuesday at Gogalgaon in Khandwa district of state and vowed to intensify the protest in coming days over land acquisition and farmers issues.
“The protest has not ended, we have suspended it giving two month time to state government for completing the rehabilitation process as per guidelines of Supreme Court,” said AAP state coordinator Alok Agrawal over phone after coming out of water.
He said state government has urged to end the protest to start the dialogue process for rehabilitation. Meanwhile, due to deteriorating health condition of Jal Satyagrahais, chief spokesperson of AAP Sanjay Singh, who was in Gogalgaon on Tuesday for Kishan Sabha, also requested protestors to come out of water. “Considering all this, we decided to suspend our protest to organize a state wide agitation against plight of farmers in state due to land acquisition and crop loss, which is leading to farmer suicides,” said Agrawal.
Agrawal said their protest is not just against the delay in rehabilitation, but it is fight against acquisition of farmer’s land without their consent and proper compensation. “Farmers are being exploited,” said Agrawal.
NBA leader Chitroopa Palit said farmers have come up with Gogalgaon manifesto with a 11-point demand. She said no land acquisition without consent of farmers, compensation of Rs 20,000 per hectare for crop loss, loan waiver of farmers and improvement in irrigation facility are some of the demands. “Farmers are committing suicide due to ignorance and faulty policy of state,” said Palit.