Former Army chief joins gherao by sugarcane farmers

New Delhi. Demanding rejection of Rangarajan Committeee report on freeing the sugar sector, former Army chief V K Singh today joined a Parliament gherao by sugarcane farmers and shared stage with INLD chief Omprakash Chautala. Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed also participated in the protest which has been organised by Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (RKMS) headed by V M Singh. The former Army chief had on November 2 attended a press conference held by RKMS and announced that the outfit will gherao Parliament on December 4 if government did not reject Rangarajan Committee report on freeing the sugar sector. The Rangarajan committee has recommended phased decontrol of the highly regulated Rs 80,000-crore sugar industry by suggesting removal of the levy obligation, release mechanismn and having a uniform, revenue-linked sugarcane price. This is the second time in less than two months that the former Army chief is sharing dais with Chautala. Earlier, Singh had said there was nothing wrong in sharing dais with the INLD chief as he works for farmers' rights and that he has not thought about joining politics so far. Addressing the protesters, Chautala said he will face lathis and bullets with them in their fight for justice. Accusing the ruling party of helping only capitalists, Chautala alleged that Congress uses their money to win elections and even buy votes of MPs when in need of vote in Parliament. "People are very much sad about what is happening in this country.Congress has faith only in capitalists.You have seen during 2008 trust vote how Congress bought MPs to support it," he alleged. Chautala alleged that farmers were not getting enough power or water but its tariff was being regularly increased. "What we need is system change not just change in those who rule us," he said. The organisers said the recommendations of the panel would affect farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. "The truth is that the Commission has acted only on behalf of the sugar mills and ignored the farmers' interest, whereby farmers who are already in a miserable condition will face more hardships," V M Singh.