Women Protest against Microfinance Companies Demanding Loan Waivers

MAZDOOR Mukti Morcha in Ratiya, Haryana organized a Loan Waiver rally where women from villages held a protest in the city. They met the Nayab Tahsildar and submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Lal.

The rally was presided over by Mazdoor Mukti Morcha District leader Happy Groha. All India Kisan Mahasabha leader Sukhvinder Singh and Mazdoor Mukti Morcha General Secretary Gurpreet Gopi addressed the rally. The women gathtered at the Anaj Mandi to march through the National Highway to the SDM’s office. Addressing the rally, Sukhvinder Singh said that the central government has waived loans of big industrialists and capitalists but has given no relief to small farmers, shopkeepers and workers. Due to Covid-19 and the Lockdown on the one hand workers are losing their jobs; on the other hand the government and private companies are forcing them for repayment of loans.

Mukti Morcha leaders Suman Rani, Sarvajeet, Kamlesh, Komal, Praveen Kaur and Santosh said that 22 finance companies in about 60 villages have given loans on interest to women for livelihood and domestic purposes. Now, employment and livelihoods have shut down because of the Lockdown, and the women are unable to repay the installments. Private company personnel are pressurizing them to repay the installments with interest.

Present at the rally and meeting were Morcha leaders Babu Singh, Chhidrapal, Sunny Groha, and Judge Singh.