Overview

• Bachchu Kadu began his hunger strike on June 8 to demand a full farm loan waiver, scholarships for farmers’ children and monthly honorariums for disabled and widowed women.
• Doctors report that Kadu’s health is critical after vomiting blood on Friday and he has refused all medical treatment, including saline.
• Maharashtra farmers face severe hardships with low produce prices and high suicide rates, issues emphasized by Kadu and his political backers.
• The Congress party, led by Harshwardhan Sapkal, has pledged intensified support for Kadu’s protest and plans to escalate pressure on the state government.
• Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule is scheduled to visit Kadu’s protest site this evening after an online meeting with other ministers yielded no clear commitments.