MP farmers’ protest: CM Shivraj Chouhan to sit on fast till ‘peace is restored’

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chouhan made the announcement at a hurriedly-called and brief press conference on Friday, three days after five farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district.

Updated on: Jun 12, 2017, 17:31:03 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Neeraj Santoshi

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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will begin an indefinite fast from Saturday for peace and possible talks with farmers who have launched a violent agitation demanding loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement three days after five farmers were killed in police firing. (PTI)

Chouhan made the announcement at a hurriedly-called and brief press conference on Friday, three days after five farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur district.

The agitation has since then spread to several other districts, putting the BJP government under pressure.

“From Saturday, I will not sit at the Mantralaya or the CM’s house. I have decided to start an indefinite fast for peace in the state,” he said. He will hold the fast at the Dussehra Ground in Bhopal.

“There I will hold talks with the farmers on their issues and genuine demands. I will run the government from there and monitor the situation in the state,” he said, adding he was not “heartless”.

The opposition led by the Congress has accused him of failing to address the farmers’ woes and turning the police on the protesters.

“Don’t go anywhere. Come to me. Whosoever wants to come there to talk to me is welcome,” he said, adding. “Whatever decisions are to be taken would be taken from there.”

He also accused “some elements” of trying to create instability in the state. “There will be no compromise on the security aspect. Such elements who are trying to create disturbances and chaos will be dealt sternly,” he added.

The chief minister said he had been at the helm of affairs as chief minister of the state for last eleven and a half years. All through, his focus had been development and welfare of the people, especially farmers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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