A Protest march has been organised in Kolhapur on March 9 and the farmers’ bodies have extended their support.
Shetkari Sanghatana has organised a protest march in Pune on March 9 to demand that opium farming be legalised in Maharashtra, announced its leader, former MP Sharad Joshi, on Wednesday.
Different farmers’ organisation like Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and Shetkari Sanghatana fraction, led by Raghunath Patil, have also supported the demand of legalising opium cultivation after the police raided 10 acres of poppy plots in Shirala taluka in Sangli district on Tuesday.
Addressing a news conference, Joshi said that in addition to the protest march, a conference will be held in Marathwada, dates of which would be declared later.
“The farmers cultivate opium for deriving spices such as Khas Khas. Instead of banning opium, the government should ban factories developing narcotic substances from opium. Is government going to ban cane and grape cultivation as alcohol and wine are derived from them?” he said.
“The prices of opium will lower after legalisation of its farming. Still they will remain better than prices of other crops,” he said.
Joshi said his demands are for poor farmers who are committing suicides due to loss making farming. Joshi’s lieutenant, Ravi Devang, said that the organisation will undertake civil disobedience movement for farmers’ rights of doing profitable farming.
“We will extend legal aid to the farmers who have been booked for cultivating opium,” he said.
Raju Shetty told DNA that he will support the farmers on this issue.
“The farmers are not generating even input costs of the farming,” Shetty said.
“If farmers are taking opium for Khas Khas, it should be legalised. Most of the farmers have cultivated opium out of ignorance and that cannot be termed as crime,” he added.
Drug mafia vs land mafia
Joshi alleged that the raids are being done for safeguarding the interest of land mafias.
“Why these raids were not carried earlier? Due to opium farming, drug mafias are becoming stronger and can emerge stronger against land mafias. As the government supports the land mafia, this is a move to nip drug mafias in bud,” Joshi alleged.
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