HYDERABAD, March 24: Organizations of peasants and farmers will launch a joint struggle for their rights. The announcement was made at a “Hari Fair” organized by the Bhandar Hari Sangat at the Sindh Museum, Mumtaz Mirza Hall, here on Thursday.

The organizations called for legislation to protect interests of both peasants and landlords.

In a joint declaration, the organizations demanded that the government should fix adequate prices for crops and take steps for insurance of crops as protection against natural calamities and disasters.

The declaration demanded that growers should be given loans on easy instalments, subsidy should be granted on purchase of agricultural machinery, fertilizers and pesticides and agro-based industries should be installed in rural areas.

It urged the government to reduce agriculture tax and set up a network of roads for transportation of agricultural products from farm to market.

It said the government should organize seminars and workshops to apprise growers of fundamentals of the WTO regime and international markets.

Speaking on the occasion, Progressive Farmers Organization leader Abdul Rehman Sarhandi said peasants and farmers were facing similar problems.

He claimed that there were no private jails in Sindh and all problems were the outcome of shortage of water. He regretted that hatred had been created between peasants and landlords.

PROTEST: Residents of Hosh Nagar continued their hunger strike outside the Hyderabad Press Club on Friday against the demolition of 100 houses by the Hyderabad Development Authority.