In BJP’s Madhya Pradesh: Bullets for demanding compensation

From Maharashtra to Madhya Pradesh, farmers have been protesting, but it takes the death of six for the government to sit up and take notice.

WrittenBy:Amit Bhardwaj
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In the land of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan’, six farmers were shot dead in broad daylight in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur on May 6. Who shot them? That’s unclear according to the state government. Why were they shot? That’s also not entirely clear. What were they doing? They were demanding the state government to address the agrarian crisis including agricultural loan waivers – much like the ones given to farmers in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
They were also demanding an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of their harvest. In the wake of their deaths, the issue snowballed and hit national media headlines. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government was quick to hit back. MP Home Minister Bhupendra Singh claimed that the shots were not fired by the police who were in the area. In an act of victim blaming, Chief Minister (CM) Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan accused the opposition – the Congress party – for fuelling the violent protest.

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They were also demanding an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of their harvest. In the wake of their deaths, the issue snowballed and hit national media headlines. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government was quick to hit back. MP Home Minister Bhupendra Singh claimed that the shots were not fired by the police who were in the area. In an act of victim blaming, Chief Minister (CM) Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan accused the opposition – the Congress party – for fuelling the violent protest.

On May 1, farmers from the drought-ravaged Malwa region started protesting against the state government. According to the Hindustan Times, the region has witnessed one farmer suicide every five hours in the past two years. This is the second year when an onion bounty, prices in the Malwa-Nimad region have hit rock-bottom. Last year, farmers in this region preferred dumping their onions on the roads – as they market price went as low as Rs 1 to 2.

The government’s failure to address these issues and roll out a plan to tackle the agrarian crisis prompted the farmers to block the roads.Their demands included increasing MSP for crops, a support price for onion and milk, and loan waivers. “We had planned the protest against the government in two phases – Malwa being the first of them,” President of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (RKMS), Shiv Kumar Sharma told Newslaundry. “After Malwa, we had planned a similar mobilisation in Mahakaushal region which includes districts of Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.” He mentioned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) backed farmers’ organisation Bharatiya Kishan Sangh (BKS) who had joined the protest on the fourth day. “The BKS, which was against the farmers’ demand, suddenly supported the movement on the fourth day. On the fifth day, they had talks with the state government and announced that the protest has been called off.”

According to Sharma, this infuriated the protesting farmers. When asked why the protest turned violent-attacking the police and media personnel, torching and vandalising vehicles, Sharma responded, “these are anti-social elements” who he claimed were working on the “directions of the state government.” While Ratlam and Neemuch districts were affected by the farmers’ protest, it was Mandsaur which was the epicentre of the entire movement. Pipaliamandi and the area five km area towards Mandsaur was worst-hit by the protest, according to a local stringer Preet Sharma.


According to reports, on Monday night, riots broke out in Piplia. A dozen of vehicles were set on fire. Railway tracks and railway crossing gate were damaged in Mandsaur. By Tuesday noon, the violence intensified. Stones were allegedly pelted at the police and over two dozen vehicles were attacked. This is when shots were fired. Mahendra Patidar, chief of MP Patidar Samaj, identified five of the deceased as Kanhaiyalal Patidar, Babloo Patidar, Chainram Patidar, Abhishek Patidar and Nathulal Patidar. The identity of the sixth person is currently unknown.

“Three were shot dead on the spot,” Preet informed Newslaundry. “Three others succumbed to their injuries in the ambulance on the way to Indore.” Several others sustained bullet injuries.

The Shivraj government soon realised that things had gotten out of hand. It announced monitory compensation for the family of deceased and those injured. The compensation amount was revised thrice by the state government. Finally, in the morning, BJP government announced that Rs 1 crore will be given to the families of deceased, Rs 10 lakh for those who were injured.

Notably, after the bodies of the dead were handed over, tension escalated. Despite a curfew and suspended internet services, the violence spread.

Later in the day, Inspector General (Law & Order) M Deuskar said that incidents of violence were reported in Ujjain, Dewas, Mandsaur, Neemuch and Sehore. However, he maintained that curfews were imposed only in Mandsaur and Piplia Mandi.

MP Home Minister Singh’s claims have been countered by his government officials.

This morning when Mandsaur DM, SK Singh and other administrative officials went to meet the farmers, he confirmed that shots were fired, and that too without any orders.

Meanwhile, the protest in Malwa continues to remain violent. Singh was heckled by protesters this morning. Members of the media were targeted by angry mobs. “Several media vans have stationed themselves inside the Pipalia Mandi fearing attack from the protestors. They are angry that media has either not reported the protests or given a twist to the entire episode,” said Preet.

RKMS chief Sharma said, “every action is bound to generate a reaction. However, this should never have happened.”
Several battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed in the area to contain the violence. A judicial enquiry has been ordered to probe the firing incident.

Shivraj government under fire

Congress vice president, Rahul Gandhi’s scathing tweet, on Tuesday, against the governing BJP started the ball rolling for the opposition.

Today, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, in the press conference, attacked the BJP government, for suspending mobile internet services in the area, comparing it to actions taken in Kashmir,  “I have never heard of internet disconnected for farmers’ protest.”

Referring to the alarming number of farmers committing suicide, he went on to say “In 2015, the astonishing number of 4291 suicides in Maharahstra – roughly 12 per day, Madhya Pradesh – yesterday’s place of incident – had 1290 farmers’ suicides annually – roughly 4 per day. Of course, the All India average is extremely sorry figure – 35 farmers’ suicides per day.”

Others parties such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Janata Dal United (JDU) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) too have come down heavily on the Shivraj government.

Gandhi was expected to meet the protesting farmers today, however, permission for to land his helicopter was denied by the administration. Former Mandsaur MP and Congress leader Meenakshi Natrajan was detained by the police as she was on the way to meet protesting farmers.

Irony in the advertisement

Hours after the six farmers were shot dead, CM Chouhan tweeted that his government has been a pro-farmer one. If that was not enough, on May 7, the government released advertisements in the newspapers reaffirming the claim. Coincidentally, the national dailies covered the news today, many of them also carried a two full-page advertisement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare – with the head – “empowered prosperous, farmer India”.

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The Madhya Pradesh government is in damage control mode. CM Chouhan, today, announced that the state government will procure onions through 48 centres across the state at Rs 8 per kilogramme rate. He also announced that the government will procure lentils – Moong at Rs 5225 per quintal and Toor and Urad at Rs 5050 per quintal.
While the government’s decision may come as a relief to the farmers, its tragic that it took the death of so many for it to come to this.

The author can be contacted on Twitter @tweets_amit.

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