KOZHIKODE: The CITU on Wednesday honoured Kisan Sabha president Ashok Dhawale who led the march of 30,000 farmers in Mumbai. The reception was at its district committee office here. Mr Dhawale is a member of the CPM's central committee and has been working in the Kisan Sabha since 1993.
“The only option left to stop the farmer suicide is to waive their loans,” he told reporters here. "Our protest had drawn the national attention to their plight."
The demands included the transfer of forest land to tillers, implementation of the M. S. Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, and compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre to farmers hit by hailstorm and pink bollworm, and stop sharing the state's water with Gujarat.
"All our demands were met before calling off the protest," he said. CPIM district secretary P. Mohanan welcomed him to the event.
