The Bharatiya Janata Kisan Morcha (BJKM) is set to launch its flagship programme ‘Ek Mutho Chaal’ (a handful of rice) in North Bengal on 10 January, following its launch in the Jagadanandapur Gram Panchayat in undivided Bardhaman by BJP’s national president Jagat Prakash Nadda tomorrow.
Vice-president of the BJKM in West Bengal, Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhary, who is also the spokesperson for the BJP in north Bengal, said: “Millions of farmers will participate in the ‘Ek Mutho Chaal’ programme by way of contributing a handful of rice cultivated by them. This is a landmark initiative touching the lives of farmers who are marginalized and deprived of basic rights.”
“The flagship programme will begin in north Bengal from Malda on 10 January, after it is launched by our party president JP Nadda tomorrow. ‘Ek Mutho Chaal’ is a path breaking initiative of the BJP in West Bengal. We are expecting to reach out to nearly 58,000 villages in the state and interact with millions of farmers who are deprived, impoverished and socially marginalized. Our aim is to address the issues of social and economic deprivation and uplift of the poor farmers,” Ms Mitra Choudhury said.
According to Ms Mitra Choudhury, Mr Nadda will pray in the around 200-year-old Radha Madhav Temple in Jagadanandapur village in Katwa and then visit the house of farmers in the village. Mr Nadda will also eat lunch in the house of farmer Mathura Mondol there.
Party sources said the menu for Mr Nadd will be boiled minikit rice, shak bhaja, beguni (item of brinjal), moog dal, labra torkari, and payes with gobindo bhog rice. The family owns 2.5 bigha of farm land in total. Mr Nadda will also visit five farmers’ families to collect rice.