The All India Agriculture Workers Union and the All India Kisan Sabha has demanded that if the extension of the lockdown is warranted, the Prime Minister and the central government should put in place concrete measures to mitigate the suffering of the masses.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the lockdown on March 24 without any preparedness to deal with the problems of the migrant workers, farmers, agricultural workers and the most oppressed. This has led to an untold misery for the peasantry, agricultural workers, the poor and the toiling masses. Already more than 150 deaths are being reported due to the unplanned, unprepared and mismanaged lockdown and the accompanying loss of employment, earning, hunger as well as all-round distress,” Ashok Dhavale, president, All India Kisan Sabha said.

“Crores of poor, migrant workers, peasants and agricultural workers have been deprived of livelihood. A human tragedy of an unprecedented nature is staring at us with hunger and malnutrition rising even as nutritious food is part of the requirement to counter COVID-19,” he said. Standing crops like wheat, paddy, mustard, chana, chillies, pulses etc, are ready for harvest in many parts of India but the lockdown and restrictions have created a situation where harvesting, transport and marketing is curtailed.