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FARMERS START A “FAST UNTO DEATH” IN COLOMBO AND IN MANY PROVINCIAL TOWNS ASKING TO BRING DOWN FERTILIZER PRICE
Photo
Thirteen farmers of the All Ceylon Peasants Federation (ACPF) February 6, commenced a fast unto to death campaign opposite the Fort Railway Station to force the Government to immediately bring down the price of Urea fertilizer. The fasting farmers included ACPF General Secretary and JVP Parliamentarian S.K. Subasinghe and an aged woman farmer who are in the picture
(Photo by Wimal Karunathilake)
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles

February 07, 01.45 PM: Thirteen protesting farmers including an aging woman, led by their leader, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian S. K. Subasinghe started a “fast unto death” in front of Colombo’s main railway terminal, the Fort Station demanding the ruling UNF government to bring down the “unbearable price” of Urea fertilizer needed for the cultivation of the country’s main staple food of rice

The parliamentarian, also the Secretary of All Ceylon Peasant’s Federation (ACPF) said under the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe thousands of rice farmers all over the country were abandoning their livelihood of growing rice as the price of a bag of fertilizer had shot up from 350 rupees to more than 900 rupees.

Before coming to Colombo, Subasinghe led ACPF started protest fasts in the mainly rice growing areas of Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Hambantota and Badulla and demanded that the price of a bag of urea fertilizer should be brought down to at least 500 rupees. The ACPF said the provincial protests were also continuing with the popular support of the rice farmers of the provinces.

Responding to the farmer demands the Ranil Wickremesinghe government said urea fertilizer was already subsidized by the government and the government could not afford to issue it for less than 800 rupees. Meanwhile market analysts said it was actually selling for more than 900 rupees.

Starting the Colombo fast unto death Subasinghe said thousands of farmers were abandoning their rice fields in areas like Polonnaruwa, Mahiyangana and Ampara due to the short sighted policies of the Ranil Wickremesinghe government

Infuriated by the all island protest fasts receiving the popular support of the farmers ,some alleged goons of the ruling UNF government attacked one of the protestors at Anuradhapura resulting a bigger protest by farmers living around the ancient city. The injured protestor has been admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital.

Speaking to the press , just before he joined the 12 other fasters on a platform erected in front of the Fort Railway station Subasinghe said though the government was turning its deaf ear to the demands of their farmer’s organization all this time it had told the press that they could bring down the price only to 800 rupees. But he said a bag of fertilizer was selling more than 900 rupees in the market making rice farming a profitless task. He said he was prepared to sit down with the Minister of Finance , his deputy or the secretary of the Ministry to resolve the problem by negotiations.

( go2lanka.com)