Import of milk, sugar and vegetables from Pakistan

Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh (RKM), the coalition of farmer organisations behind the 10-day Gaon Bandh since June 1, said it would intensify its agitation in coming days by resorting to several innovative means of protest, including despatching sugar imported from Pakistan to prominent BJP leaders.

Chavan said at a juncture when there is a bumper sugarcane crop in India, it will be an ill-advised decision to import sugar from Pakistan. "The entire sugar industry will collapse owing to import of sugar from Pakistan, in that event Modi will have to take the responsibility,'' he said.

The Congress leader said it was expected that sugar production would touch the 250 metric tonne mark, but it crossed 320 metric tonnes. "In the last year's season, a huge stock of sugar is lying in godowns, against the rate of 40 to 42 per kg, now the rates have fallen to 25 per kg. Cane growers and traders are going through the worst-ever crisis and next year too, it is expected that there will be a bumper crop. Under such circumstances, it was wrong to import sugar from Pakistan,'' Chavan said.

He expressed the fear that sugar prices in India would fall further, and it would be bad for sugarcane growers in India.

Apart from continuing with their stir, the farmers plan to hold meetings across the country on Wednesday to pay tribute to six farmers who were killed in police firing in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, on June 6 last year.

The RKM, however, plans to stay away from a meeting scheduled to be addressed by Congress party president Rahul Gandhi in Mandsaur on Wednesday, Kakkaji said.

Instead, the organisation is planning to hold a meeting to pay tribute to the martyrs on June 8 in Mandsaur, in which Modi baiters such as Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha and Pravin Togadia are expected to participate.