Burning effigy singes protesters in Bidar

A protest by burning the effigy of the State government turned awry with three protesters suffering minor burns in the town on Saturday.

Farmers, led by a former Zilla Panchayat member took out a mock funeral procession of an effigy of the State government, demanding payment of compensation for crop loss. They set the effigy on fire near the deputy commissioner’s office. 

However, the dhoti (loin cloth) of an elderly man caught fire. The other protesters at the spot rushed to his help and doused the flames. In the melee, the shirt of a protester and the footwear of another man also caught fire. But there were no casualties.

The protesters said the district had received 60 per cent deficit rainfall this year, resulting in the loss of kharif and rabi crops. They said farmers had been pushed to penury due to poor rains and load shedding.

“Merely declaring the district drought-hit won’t provide any relief. The government should come to the rescue of the farmers by announcing a compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre of crops lost. The loans borrowed by farmers should be waived,” they demanded.