Maharashtra farmers organization Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathna on Tuesday left the internet in shock after a video of farmers dumping liters of milk on road went viral.
According to news agency ANI, these farmers were demanding a hike in the procurement price of milk. The spilling of milk was marked as a form of protest by the farmer’s organization. The dairy farmers demanded an increase in milk procurement prices to Rs 25 per liter. These Maharashtra farmers have warned of more protests if their demands are not met at the earliest. They emptied milk tankers on the roads of Sangli to mark the protest.
The protestors on Tuesday along with members of the Raju Shetti-led Swambhimani Shetkari Sanghatana stopped milk tankers on the way and emptied them on the Pune-Bengaluru highway. The roadway passed two districts from there.
In conversation with PTI, Shetti said they are demanding an increase in milk procurement prices by Rs 5 per liter and the benefit to be directly deposited into the accounts of milk producers. Shetti also demanded cancellation of the Centre’s decision to import 10,000 tonnes of milk powder.
“We are not happy to waste milk but the government is protecting dairies and not considering farmers’ woes,” Shetti said in his statement.
Watch the viral video here:
#WATCH Workers of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathna spill milk on the streets of Kolhapur as a mark of protest. The organisation is demanding Rs 25 per litre as the minimum rate of cow milk, among others. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/BDMJSLfRtg
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2020
The video quickly spread like wildfire across the internet and many slammed these Maharashtra farmers for wasting milk when they could help the needy and poor with it.
Reacting to the video, a twitter user wrote: ”Horrendous! People who waste and disrespect food should be given strict punishment. So many homeless, poor people could have been fed with that milk.”
Take a look at some of the reactions here:
Spilling milk may not be a good idea to mark protest specifically in a country like India .
Why wastage !! distribute among poor, free of cost or donate to govt medicals with full camera coverage.— Ashok Kumar Ojha ?? (@AshokKu67597003) July 21, 2020
Instead of wasting, they could have given it to poor people who are not getting proper food during this pandemic.
— Shubham Kumar (@Atheist_kumar) July 21, 2020
Please arrest these people and make them pay double the amount of what was the cost of the milk.
— Fakirmohan (@Fakirmohan20) July 21, 2020
this nonsense of spilling milk takes place every time as part of protest. it should be criminal offense in country with many kids sleeping hungry.
— Sachin Yesugade (@sacchrin) July 21, 2020
Meanwhile, Parag Milk Foods MD Pritam Shah, All India Kisan Sabha leader Ajit Navale and other milk federations have urged the government to intervene and provide much-needed relief to farmers and milk powder producers.
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