Chennai: Activist Anna Hazare wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reiterated his decision to launch ‘the last hunger strike’ of his life on farmers’ issues in Delhi by January end.
The letter came as farmer unions are agitating on Delhi borders against the Centre’s new farm laws.
Hazare said the new farm laws do not conform to ‘democratic values’ and people’s participation is necessary in the drafting of legislations.
He will stage a fast in the national capital by month-end, 83-year-old Hazare said in the letter to the PM, without specifying the date.
On 14 December, Hazare had written to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, warning of a hunger strike if his demands including the implementation of the M S Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations on agriculture were not met.
Another demand made by him was grant of autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
“On the issue of farmers, I have had correspondence (with the Centre) five times, however, no response came. As a result, I have decided to go on the last hunger strike of my life,” said Hazare.
He wrote four letters to the concerned authority to seek permission to stage hunger strike at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi but no response came from their side too, he said.
He also termed the Supreme Court’s stay to the implementation of the laws as a ‘moral defeat’ of the government, and praised the farmers for protesting in a peaceful manner.
“If the farmers carry on the agitation in a non-violent way, the government would not be able to do anything. The moment it turns violent, the government will crush it,” the Gandhian activist said.