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Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu called off his hunger strike a week after launching the agitation demanding higher compensation for rain-hit farmers of Andhra Pradesh.
Naidu broke the fast by taking a glass of coconut water following intervention by Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh and other leaders who prevailed upon him to end the fast.
Naidu was shifted to ICU of NIMS hospital in Hydreabad two days ago after his health condition had deteriorated and he was administered intravenous fluid last night. "Your battle is over. It is now our job to launch a powerful movement at the national level to take the struggle for farmers forward," Karat and the others told Naidu when they met him at NIMS on Friday evening.
The TDP, Left and other parties decided to organise a massive farmers' rally at Guntur soon as part of their struggle.
Bardhan said: "We told Chandrababu not to risk his life by continuing the hunger strike. We now have a battle that is bitter and longer, which has to be fought in many ways."
He remarked that the TDP chief had done enough to carry on the struggle so far.
"He is one of the tallest leaders of this country. But he is no longer very young to continue the fast for many more days. Though he was still disinclined to end the fast, we prevailed on him," the CPI general secretary said.
"We wish Chandrababu restores his health fast and leads the masses," Bardhan added.
Prakash Karat said the growing number of suicides by calamity-hit farmers in Andhra Pradesh was a "great distress".
"We appeal to the farmers not to resort to suicides. We will launch a powerful movement at the national level and
fight for your cause," Karat assured the farmers.
He said they all would organise a massive farmers' rally at Guntur very soon. "The rally will be organised as soon as Chandrababu recovers fully. The date will be announced soon," Karat said.
RLD leader Ajit Singh pointed out that farmers were continuing with agriculture only out of compulsion. "But we shall all fight to make agriculture remunerative and profitable," he said.
Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav lashed out at the state and the central governments for "totally neglecting"
the farmers, particularly who were in distress.
Indian National Lok Dal president Om Prakash Chautala, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Tambi Durai, Janata Dal-Secular leader Dishan Ali, Asom Gana Parishad leader Arun Kumar Sharma were also present.
Replying to a question, Bardhan and Karat said they have been demanding for long that the Centre take effective steps to reduce input costs of farming and make credit easily available at four per cent rate of interest.
"The government should answer whether it would work for the welfare of farmers by making farming remunerative," Bardhan asked.
Vaiko said even if a part of the amount lost in the 2G spectrum scandal was spent on agriculture, the lot of farmers
would improve tremendously.