Wheat riots

An indefinite curfew was imposed in Raisen’s district’s Bareli town on Monday after agitating farmers clashed with police.

One farmer died and a dozen were injured in the violence. The angry protestors set afire vehicles and pelted stones on policemen.


The farmers gathered in strength at Bareli after the suicide by a farmer, Bhagwan Singh Rajput, on Sunday at Manpur wheat procurement centre.

As many as 35 farmers including president of the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) Shiv Kumar Sharma were detained.

The deceased was identified as Hari Singh Puraviya (40), former sarpanch of Golgaon village.

The farmers, responding to a call given by the BKS, were protesting against shortage of jute bags, mismanagement at procurement centres and involvement of middlemen in the process.

They staged a blockade at national highway-12 (Jaipur- Jabalpur) and attacked police with sticks and set afire nearly half-a-dozen vehicles of police and local administration.

Police lathi-charged the agitating farmers, fired in the air and lobbed teargas shells to control them.

The administration first imposed section 144 of Cr PC in the town, 100 km from Bhopal.

Raisen collector Mohanlal Meena and SP IP Kulshrestha, after reviewing the situation, ordered imposition of curfew, the sources said.

The situation in Bareli was tense but under control.

Nearly a dozen police and administrative officials besides 35 farmers were injured in the protests and police action, the sources said.

The injured were admitted to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs and Health Minister Narottam Mishra accused the Congress of misleading farmers on the purchase of wheat and creating obstacles in its procurement.

Mishra , who also is the spokesman of the state government, told reporters that the Congress in the state is creating hurdles through the Central government in purchase of wheat.

Mishra said that it was only because of Congress designs that farmers in some areas appeared to be dissatisfied.

All arrangements regarding the purchase have been finalised and every grain produced by the farmers would be bought by the state government, he said.

Mishra also dismissed the reports of a 55-year-old farmer in Raisen district committing suicide due to distress, saying the farmer died of food poisoning.

Source: Argentine Beef Packers S.A.