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Farmers to defy directive on wheat sowing

JAIPUR: Farmers in the Indira Gandhi Canal Project Phase I area are heading for a confrontation with the Rajasthan Government over sowing of rabi wheat across some 7 lakh acres in Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner districts.

The Government has asked the farmers, already agitating over supply of irrigation water, not to sow wheat this season but to go for less water-consuming crops such as mustard, barley and gram.

A huge gathering of farmers under the banner of Kisan, Mazdoor Vyapari Sangarsh Samiti (KMVSS) at Gharsana Mandi on Thursday announced the decision to defy the Government directive.

“Even if it means irrigating the crop with our own blood we would go for wheat only this season,” said Hetram Beniwal, former CPI (M) MLA and leader of KMVSS, addressing the farmers.

The area had witnessed widespread bloodshed three years ago when half a dozen persons were killed in police firing at Gharsana, Rawla and Kajuwala after farmers laid siege to Government offices. The agitation, discontinued after an agreement now commonly referred to as Ajmer Agreement, which promised to maintain the quantum of water originally committed to the farmers, was revived on November 5 this year.

“The agitation is motivated. The supply of irrigation water is now regular as Rajasthan has been successful in getting its share of water from the Ravi-Beas rivers,” said Water Resources Minister Sanwarlal Jat addressing a press conference here on Friday.

He said the agitation was confined to a group of people and in general the farmers in the area were a contented lot.

“We cannot act against nature. There has been less water in the Pong dam this time. The flow is likely to be reduced further in future. Considering this situation, we advised the farmers of the area to sow less water-consuming mustard, barley and gram. We will be in a position to provide six rounds of water to the fields this time instead of nine rounds,” Mr. Jat said.

“The Minister is talking nonsense. In 2004 when the dam had even less water than at present we had a good wheat crop in the area. Irrespective of what agriculture officers are telling the farmers, the people have decided to have wheat crop this time,” said Mr. Beniwal talking to this correspondent on phone from Rawatsar.

“In fact we have no other option but to sow wheat. The sowing time for mustard, gram and barley is over by October. November is the time for wheat,” he pointed out.

According to Mr. Beniwal, it is paradoxical for the State Government to ask the farmers not to sow wheat. “The country is importing wheat as the stocks have dwindled and this Government is telling its farmers not to grow wheat,” he wondered.

“How can they say this when this area accounts for one crore quintals of wheat production a year?” he said.

Water Resources Department officials are at pains to explain that it may not be possible for them to ensure enough irrigation to sustain the wheat crop in the Phase I area till March-April.

“We cannot produce water just because somebody insists on it. Nature has not been very kind with rain this time and the water levels are low. The quantum of water released to the Indira Gandhi Canal is fixed by the Bhakra-Beas Management Board and nothing can be done about the situation,” said S. N. Thanvi, Principal Secretary, Water Resources.

“If wheat is not grown, we will be ruined. It will also mean there won’t be enough ‘todi’ (fodder) for our cattle this year. We don’t believe the Government argument that there is not enough water for wheat. Water is there but they want to divert it to Phase II area of the canal to provide benefit to the rich and influential land holders there,” said Bhuramal Swami, a farmers’ leader in Sriganganagar.

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