How many industrialists committed suicides, asks Anna Hazare

Social activist Anna Hazare today sought to know the number of industrialists committing suicide in the country and claimed that the farmers doing the same was 12 lakh in the last 22 years.

He said he would launch an agitation over the farmers issues and the Lokpal in New Delhi in February.

"At least 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the last 22 years. I want to know the number of industrialists committing suicide during this period," the veteran Gandhian, who is on a three-day visit to the state, told reporters here.

The governments at the Centre and the states are pro- industry and anti-farmers and they behave like "deaf and blind when it comes to meet the farmers' demand", he said.

"I had great hope that there would be some change after PM (Narendra) Modi would become prime minister. Therefore, I remained silent for all the three years," Hazare said.

But the Modi government has failed to keep its promises made to the farmers before Lok Sabha elections in 2014, he said.

"Why did you promise to give the minimum support price at the rate of one-and-half times the production cost in agriculture? Now it is clear that the promises had been made to garner the support of farmers," Hazare said.

If farmers across the country unite, then only the people in power would be able to see and speak, the Gandhian said calling upon farmers to raise their voice against the injustice meted out to them.

"The Centre has not met the assurance given to the people. Therefore, I have decided to raise my voice again," Hazare said.

The Gandhian asked why the Modi government failed to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's bank account from the black money stashed abroad as assured before the polls.

Stating that the government had assured to implement the Lokpal Act to fight corruption, Hazare said, "They rather diluted the Act which was passed within two days in Parliament."

He said the opinion of Gram Sabha is not taken into consideration when policies are made in Parliament and the assemblies.

"Gram Sabha is more important than the two others," he said.