Ahmedabad | Today, Aam Aadmi Party Gujarat State President and farmer leader Isudan Gadhvi sat on an indefinite dharna at Jam Khambhaliya. State President Isudan Gadhvi sat on the dharna with four demands, and along with him, more than thousands of farmers joined this programme and extended their support to him. Along with State President Isudan Gadhvi, State Organisation General Secretary Manoj Sorathiya, MLA Hemant Khava, State President of Kisan Cell Pravin Ram, State President of Youth Morcha Brijraj Solanki, State Organisation Secretary Raju Borkhatariya and State Vice President Kayanat Ansari Atha, along with a large number of office-bearers and workers of the Aam Aadmi Party, were also present at this programme. All the farmers and all the leaders and workers of the Aam Aadmi Party presented their demands before the government in one voice and demanded that the drought-affected areas be declared drought-hit.
At this programme, farmer leader Isudan Gadhvi stated that responsibilities of all officers in the government are fixed, but even after 80 years of independence, there is no accountability fixed for these leaders, ministers and governments. People are suffering because they do not know about their rights and entitlements. Many sarpanches and people called me and said that a lot of pressure was being put on them not to attend this programme. I just want to tell everyone that you do not worry, Isudan Gadhvi will continue to fight for you. If not today, then tomorrow I will ensure that this government declares the drought-affected areas. BJP people may not be able to do good work, but they are very skilled at doing bad work. Many people say that this is an Aam Aadmi Party programme. I want to ask them, which person sitting on the stage is wearing an Aam Aadmi Party scarf? Which election is going on right now? If we only wanted to enjoy power, we would have simply gone to enjoy power, but we have chosen the path of struggle for the poor, the deprived, farmers and labourers. When there is a fight between truth and falsehood, caste, community, religion and relatives should not be considered. I want to say one thing to the BJP Chief Minister: BJP Chief Minister, because if you were the Chief Minister of farmers, you would have come here. This programme is not of any party; MPs, MLAs and leaders of whichever party want to come here can come, and I am ready to respect everyone. If the government declares drought tomorrow, I do not even want to take credit for it. Whoever wants to take credit, you can take it, and I will also congratulate you. Pravinbhai was ready to go on a fast, but the reality is that BJP does not care about anyone’s fast or hunger strike. I also want to say that our Plan B and Plan C are also ready. We have not demanded a loan waiver at present because we will raise that issue in 2027 and, after forming the government, we will show that we can waive the loans.
Further, farmer leader Isudan Gadhvi, while presenting his demands before the government, stated that if the Chief Minister wants, the drought-affected areas of Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Kutch, some talukas of Amreli and whichever areas of North Gujarat are affected by scarcity can be declared drought-affected, and this is our first demand. Farmers have already sown their crops, so our second demand is that enough water should be released from all the dams so that they are filled and the crops can be saved. Our third demand is that fodder should be provided. I received calls from some sarpanches and they said that these people have started the fodder work from today itself, but the amount of fodder they are providing is not sufficient, so our demand is that whoever needs how much fodder should get that much. Our fourth demand is that all the electricity bills of farmers in the scarcity-affected areas should be waived. Recently, ₹22,000 crore of an industrialist was waived and it was settled for only ₹6 crore, so in this, some may have arranged ₹100 crore, some ₹200 crore, and everything may have been settled, and these people may have taken the cream in between. ₹46,000 crore of Anil Ambani was also waived. This means that these people have enough money, but they do not want to waive the money of farmers. And these people divide us on the basis of caste and community. The GenZ movement succeeded because they did not fall for the words of BJP leaders, so when will you do this? The entire village may be suffering today, and if you ask them, people say, “This village belongs to BJP.”
Further, farmer leader Isudan Gadhvi stated that if there was no rain for so many days, the government should have announced assistance and deposited it directly into your accounts, but the government did not do so. Look at the villages of America, Israel and other countries, look at the farmers there, they are happy because they consider the government their servant, while we consider the government and leaders our masters. Not a single dam has been built in the last 26 years. If dams had been built and there was water in the dams, farmers could have continued farming even in drought conditions. Should the government not have made this arrangement? I just want to tell the farmers to bring a government that comes with a new vision for your children and your future. I request all farmers to each awaken five to ten farmers. And we have to bring as many people here as possible. The greater the number of farmers, the sooner the farmers will get justice.
Aam Aadmi Party State Organisation General Secretary Manoj Sorathiya, addressing the farmers and the gathering present, stated that there is a severe lack of rainfall across the entire Saurashtra and Kutch regions. Particularly, the situation in Devbhoomi Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Kutch districts is extremely serious. Even government figures themselves confirm that these areas have recorded a rainfall deficit of 70 to 90 percent. The government is well aware that due to such a major lack of rainfall, the crops sown by farmers have completely failed and the entire year of farmers is on the verge of being ruined. Despite this, the government has not taken the initiative that it should have taken in view of this difficult situation of farmers. It is the moral and constitutional duty of the government to immediately declare these areas drought-affected, provide water to the fields through the ‘SAUNI Yojana’ and immediately start relief operations for farmers. But sadly, for those in power, farming and villages have no importance left. Just as the East India Company had come to this country only to do business in the past, today’s rulers are also only doing the business of power and trading the votes and emotions of the people. The history of Gujarat bears witness that every struggle for the rights and justice of the people has always started from the grassroots. But when the true feelings, pain and people’s power are connected with that small beginning, that movement definitely becomes a huge storm and reaches the peak of success. This ‘Dushkal Ghoshna Satyagraha’ started by Isudan Gadhvi may have started today from a small camp, but the voice of this camp will not remain limited only to the people sitting here. Every person who has a connection with farming, fields or the sweat of farmers, whether it is a labourer working in the fields or a citizen sitting in large air-conditioned offices in cities, all such people are watching this Satyagraha camp today. For the last thirty years, the innocent people of Gujarat have given immense power to those in power, but by becoming immersed in the arrogance of that same power, the government has stopped listening to the pain of the people or worrying about their future. For them, only the politics of votes has become important. In such a situation, Isudan Gadhvi deserves congratulations for taking up this satyagraha for the existence and rights of farmers and for making a strong beginning to the movement.
Aam Aadmi Party Jamjodhpur MLA Hemant Khava, addressing the farmers, stated that the present time is for a farmer’s son to work day and night in his field, but it is our misfortune that even during the main working season, we have had to take to the path of protest for our rights. The pain in a farmer’s heart upon seeing the crop that he nurtured with two months of hard work like his own child drying up before his eyes cannot be described in words. Since April, the Meteorological Department had forecast less rainfall along the Saurashtra coast due to ‘El Niño’. For this very reason, one and a half months ago, more than 1,000 farmers had gathered in Lalpur and submitted a memorandum to the government requesting the release of water from the ‘SAUNI Yojana’ and arrangements for fodder. If the government had even a little willingness, all the reservoirs of Jamnagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Porbandar would have been full today, but this government has failed to provide even drinking water, let alone irrigation. For livestock rearers, only one fodder depot has been opened 70-70 kilometres away, from where only 140 kg of fodder is being provided per farmer, due to which the rent and expenses have increased, making the cost of bringing it more expensive than gold. Despite repeatedly making representations to the Relief Commissioner and the Chief Minister, no solution was found, so Isudan Gadhvi has started an indefinite dharna at Khambhaliya. We will soon meet the Chief Minister with a delegation and present all these issues, but until the government declares these areas drought-affected, this Satyagraha struggle will continue strongly.
Addressing the farmers, Aam Aadmi Party Kisan Morcha State President Pravin Ram stated that when nature has turned against us, providing proper justice to farmers is the first duty of the government, but this government is evading its responsibilities. Due to no rainfall for the last several days in most parts of Saurashtra, including Gir Somnath and Junagadh, farmers’ crops are drying up. Leaders sitting in air-conditioned offices in Gandhinagar and making big statements have no idea how much seed a farmer has sown, how much medicine he has sprayed and how unbearable the pain is of watching his crop burn before his eyes despite all the hard work. This struggle is not merely a movement or a dharna, but a struggle for the existence of Gujarat’s farmers, their fields and the livelihood of the coming generation. We will have to create such an atmosphere through people’s power to get our demands accepted so that the farmers’ voice reaches Gandhinagar. Now, instead of going to the fields and feeling sad upon seeing the drying crops or wasting time at the village square, farmers should join this Satyagraha every day and bring five other farmers along with them.
