Anna Hazare sits for day-long hunger strike in support of agitating farmers

Dec. 8: Social activist Kisan Baburao alias Anna Hazare (83)on Tuesday joined farmers`agitation by holding a day-long token hunger strike at his native village Ralegan-Siddhi in Ahmednagar, Gujarat. The agitating farmers have called Bharat Bandh on 8 December demanding the repeal of the Centre’s new farm laws.

In a recorded message, Hazare appreciated farmers’ protests at the borders of Delhi saying no violence has taken place in the last 10 days of the agitation. Hazare also said the agitation should spread across the country so that the government comes under pressure to act in the interests of cultivators. Hazare also expressed the need to grant autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and to implement the recommendations of the M S Swaminathan Commission.

Anna Hazare said this was the “right time” for farmers to come out on the streets and get their issues resolved, adding “I had backed this cause earlier also, and will continue to do so.”