Kochi: Actor Jayasurya slammed the Kerala Government over its handling of the issues faced by farmers. He didn't mince words while speaking at a public event the other day in the presence of State ministers P Prasad and P Rajeeve. The actor’s speech while addressing the agricultural fest ‘Karshikolsavam’ at Kalamassery has gone viral on social media.
Jayasurya lashed out at the government by detailing the difficulties experienced by the farmers in Kerala. He highlighted the problems faced by a set of farmers, who were forced to go on a hunger protest even on Thiruvonam Day as the Supplyco was yet to pay their dues for the paddy procured.
“Though one might feel that I could have raised it personally to the minister, I have decided to speak out in public in the belief that it will expedite the government’s intervention,” Jayasurya said, while also flagging the sales of poison-laced vegetables and foodgrains in the market.
Excerpts from Jayasurya’s speech:
The issues faced by the farmers are not that simple... I am not speaking as actor Jayasurya here. As an ordinary person, I would like to remind you (Agriculture minister) of certain things. My friend Krishna Prasad, who is also an actor, makes a living through farming. It has been five to six months since his paddy was procured, but he is yet to receive the dues from Supplyco. They are now sitting on a hunger protest on Thiruvonam day. Do you know why they are doing this? Not to get things done, but to bring these issues to the attention of the authorities concerned.
The young generation will take to agriculture only if they can proudly point to their father and mother having a dignified life.
He (the minister) said that we do not eat much vegetables, we are really scared of having vegetables sprayed with poison. We are eating vegetables that are brought from outside Kerala. A bulk of those vegetables have toxic contents in them.
When I happened to visit a rice mill in Palakkad, I saw a brand of rice that is not available here. I approached the mill owner and enquired about the brand. His replied that this brand was not meant for sale here but for exports as it is a first-quality product. Don't the people of Kerala deserve to consume first-quality stuff? Don’t we spend money on such products? What he said was that there were no quality checks here. You may deliver anything and it will be dispatched without much checks.
We are now left with no other option but to consume such poisoned vegetables and rice that is either second quality or third quality... we should have a basic system for quality checks here. In that case, we will get top-quality vegetables and rice in the local market. Please do not misunderstand me. This is only a reminder... I am opening up here in front of the audience in the belief that you will take this issue seriously.
