The Communist Party of India on Monday asked the Centre to declare the loss of standing and harvested crops over 75 lakh acres across three States – Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu – as a national calamity and announce compensation for it.
CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, drew attention to the huge loss suffered by farmers, 75 of whom died in Andhra Pradesh, unable to bear the damage.
In Andhra Pradesh alone, crops over 50 lakh acres have been damaged while paddy that was harvested or ready to be harvested has been lost as has cotton, chillies and other commercial crops.
“This is indeed a national calamity,” but the Andhra Pradesh government has given very meagre help. “Nobody is blaming the State government for the unprecedented loss. But the least that the farmers expect, is that the government should stand by their side at this time of great misery and suffering…they expect adequate relief,” he said.
Disagreeing with the government’s argument that there is no fund to meet the situation, he said, the issue of finding resources comes from political will.
Coercive methods
“It is this that has compelled Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu to go on an indefinite hunger strike demanding adequate compensation to the peasants. Commenting on the action against Mr. Naidu who was forcibly removed to a hospital, the CPI leader said such coercive methods “are hardly likely to meet the situation.”