Hardik Patel likely to break his indefinite fast soon
Ahmedabad, Sep 9 : Firebrand Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel is likely to break his fast in a day or two following the advice of veteran political leader and former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav, according to sources close to Patel.
Yadav, besides DMK stalwart A. Raja, was among those who called on fasting Patel in the hospital on Saturday.
On the insistence of Yadav, the 25-year-old Patel started taking water which he had stopped since Thursday evening after the deadline for the ultimatum issued by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) to initiate talks expired without any response from the Gujarat Government.
Patel has demanded debt waiver for the farmers, reservation benefits to the Patels and release of his PAAS co-convenor Alpesh Kathiriya being held under sedition charges.
Saturday was the 15th day of his indefinite fast which started on August 25 at his residence after the government refused him permission for a venue to stage his public protest.
After meeting Hardik Patel, Yadav told reporters that he had advised him to give up fast and recover his health to "stay fit for a long drawn battle" against the BJP governments in the state and at the Centre.
He advised him there was no meaning losing health by fasting when the farmers required a leader like him to stand up and fight for their cause.
He claimed that Hardik promised him to consider his suggestion and act positively. "Today, I offered him water and he took it, I am sure tomorrow he will agree to break the fast and resume normal life," Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the talks between a cabinet sub-committee and Naresh Patel, chief of the influential religious seat of Patidars, Khodaldham, and other Patidar community leaders mediating on behalf of Hardik and the PAAS, which was expected to be held on Saturday was deferred till Sunday.
Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel and Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja had been tasked to talk to Naresh Patel on behalf of the government to negotiate on the issues of farm debt waiver, reservation formula and release of Kathiriya.
The state government sources, however, said there was no question of discussing the reservation issue as it was not possible under the constitution and the government had already appointed a commission to consider benefits on economic criteria for the people belonging to the non-reserved categories.
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BAMUL president slams Flipkart over selling milk for Re 1 per litre
Bengaluru (PTI): Bangalore Milk Union Ltd president D K Suresh on Saturday claimed that e-commerce giant Flipkart is selling milk for Re 1 through "investor-funded discount campaigns", accusing it of undermining the dignity of farmers and the cooperative movement built over decades.
He has lodged a complaint against Flipkart before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and also written an email to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking investigation into "predatory pricing" of milk by the quick commerce platform and its impact on dairy farmers and cooperative institutions.
However, Flipkart said in a statement that it periodically runs limited promotional campaigns on select products available on the platform, often in partnership with banking partners, to enhance customer value.
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"Prices of products on the Flipkart marketplace are determined by individual sellers. All dairy partners and sellers continue to receive their full agreed price for the products they supply, and farmer procurement prices are not impacted in any way," a Flipkart spokesperson said.
Flipkart further said it remains committed to working with farmers, cooperatives and sellers across India to expand market access and support their growth.
Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and also a former MP, slammed Flipkart for its latest move.
Taking to social media platform 'X', the Bangalore Milk Union Ltd (BAMUL) president said that milk is not a Re 1 flash deal. It is the livelihood of millions of farmers.
"Behind every litre of milk is the sweat, labour, and livelihood of our farmers. Predatory discounting by companies like Flipkart weakens India's dairy cooperatives and hurts farmer incomes," he said.
He urged both the central and the state governments to act immediately to protect the farmers and the cooperative movement.
In another post, Suresh said that milk is not a marketing gimmick. It is the livelihood of millions of dairy farmers who work every day to feed this nation.
"Flipkart is selling milk for Re 1 through investor-funded discount campaigns and is undermining the dignity of farmers and the cooperative movement built over decades," he added, urging public to choose farmers, cooperatives and Nandini, a dairy brand owned by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).
Speaking to reporters here earlier in the day, he said that a complaint would be lodged against Flipkart before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) under Section 19(1)(a) over the company's move to sell one litre of milk for Re 1.
He alleged that such competition aimed at capturing the market would hit farmers hard.
"Around Rs 2,000 crore has reportedly been spent on this initiative. It is not appropriate to misuse public shareholders' money in this manner," he said.
According to him, the move could undermine long-standing milk cooperative institutions that have existed since the pre-Independence period.
"Multinational companies are working against farmers' interests. They should clearly state in their advertisements how long they will sell milk at such low prices. Flipkart must withdraw from this move that harms the farming community," he added.
Suresh claimed that 14.5 lakh litres of milk had already been sold under the scheme and advertisements had been issued widely.
"Public money is being invested to attract customers. The company should disclose how long it plans to sell milk at this price," he said.
Responding to a question on whether the sales of Nandini milk had dropped, he said several brands operate in the market and not just Nandini.
"BAMUL's sales have dropped by about 40,000-50,000 litres. We need to ascertain how long this decline has continued," he said.
Asked if other entities were behind the scheme, he said information was still being gathered. "I have seen a couple of advertisements and will also discuss the matter with officials. Under the guise of business, it is not right to ignite a crisis for the farming community," he said.
Suresh said farmers are currently paid Rs 38-40 per litre for milk. "How can they sell it for Re 1? "We need to find out from whom they are purchasing the milk and where it is coming from," he said.
When asked whether farmers should be advised not to sell milk to such companies, Suresh said it was not clear where the company was procuring milk from, including bulk producers.
"We are also checking whether milk powder is being mixed. I have asked for samples and instructed that they be tested in laboratories. If cooperative institutions collapse, the direct impact will be on farmers," he added.
