On Thursday, Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh commenting on the farmers’ protest said that yoga was the answer to the farmers’ problems. In Bihar, on a 3-day yoga festival organised by Baba Ramdev, when Singh was asked about the five farmers who have been killed in the protest, Singh said, “Yoga kijiye (Do yoga).”
Notably, farmers from numerous villages across Maharashtra and other states are on a strike from June 1 demanding loan waiver from the government. In the protest, these farmers have stopped to send their produce to the markets. They have been seeking a loan waiver and a better price for their produce that have been going unmet. The strike which originated in Maharashtra slowly spread in Madhya Pradesh.
At least 5 protesting farmers were killed in an open firing on Tuesday after which Mandsaur has been in a state of unrest. Furious farmers raided and set aflame a police outpost after the firing. This is when the authority clamped curfew on Pipalia town, the nucleus of violence, rushed extra forces. Adapting similar strategy as they would in any other conflicted area, they withdrew internet services to cut down on social media rumours fanning violence.
Notably, farmers in western Madhya Pradesh are protesting since June 1 demanding higher minimum support prices (MSP) among others.
The camp was organised by Baba Ramdev on Singh’s invitation, said reports. Speaking at the event, Singh made no comments on the farmers’ issue, instead spoke about focusing on how Prime Minister Narendra Modi made International Yoga Day a reality, ABP reported.
