Farmers' organisations express anger over registration of cases for stubble burning

Farmers' organisations in Uttar Pradesh expressed anger on Sunday over registration of cases against farmers in connection with stubble burning.

Bharatiya Kisan Union senior leader Gaurav Tikait said the government was blaming only the farmers for air pollution and registering cases against them for stubble burning and imposing fines.

"This amounts to inflicting atrocities on the country's 'annadata' (food provider)," he said.

Tikait also demanded that cases registered against farmers for stubble burning be withdrawn. He said his organisation would hold a nationwide protest -- 'Kisan Hal Kranti' -- on December 21 over this.

"The government is unable to catch those primarily responsible for pollution. Air pollution takes place mainly in cities with burning of vehicular fuels like petrol and diesel, operation of generators, air-conditioners, and burning of plastic and rubber. All these contribute to 94 per cent of air pollution. However, the government does not act on these and is only harassing the farmers," Rashtriya Kisan Manch president Shekhar Dixit said.

He said instead of harassing farmers, the government should provide them stubble removal machine for free.

"The speed with which the government is registering cases against farmers, if it works with the same speed to redress the grievances of the farmers, then their (farmers') condition will improve," Dixit said.

On December 1, the Uttar Pradesh government had sought answers from the police chiefs of 26 districts of the state over incidents of stubble burning and absence of proper control over them despite orders of the Supreme Court and directives of the Yogi Adityanath dispensation.

The districts whose police chiefs have been asked to reply are Shamli, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Baghpat, Hapur, Agra, Firozabad, Hathras, Kashiram Nagar, Badaun, Moradabad, Jyotibhaphule Nagar, Sambhal, Kanpur Dehat, Farrukhabad, Kannauj, Lalitpur, Banda, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Chitrakoot, Bhadohi, Amethi, Jalaun and Rampur, a statement issued by the UP government earlier said.