Sign anti-stir bond: MP to farmers

Bhopal: In an apparent move to foil the 10-day agitation called by various farmer bodies from June 1 in Madhya Pradesh, the state government has asked the ryots in at least a dozen districts to sign bonds committing not to join the stir.

The move that has sparked sharp resentment among the farmer leaders was viewed as a preemptive bid by the government to deny Opposition political parties including the Congress a chance to take advantage of the event ahead of the assembly elections, scheduled to be held in November this year.

According to leaders of Bharatiya Kissan Mazdoor Mahasangh (BKMM), the farmer’s outfit that is spearheading the stir, around 10,000 farmers in 12 districts in the state have been asked to sign bonds. “Half of the farmers who have been asked to give undertakings hail from Mandsaur district which had witnessed violence during the ryot stir last year leading to death of six farmers in police firing on June 6,” a leader of the Mahasangh told this newspaper on Monday.