Forget FDI, try Amul model to empower farmers, says V K Singh

Former Army chief V K Singh today left open the question of his taking a plunge in politics or contesting elections in the future.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a farmers' agitation here, he opposed FDI in multi-brand retail, contending that it will in no way help farmers.

"I don't know," was all Singh said when asked whether he was open to the idea of joining politics.

On media reports that he would contest the 2014 elections from Haryana, he said, "This is all what you (media) people have written. I have nothing to say."

On FDI, he maintained even when Pepsico came into India, it was said that it would help farmers but that was never the case.

"In India, we have an excellent model in terms of Amul to empower farmers. We can bring about the same change what people are trying to bring through FDI by making suitable modifications to the Amul model," he said.

Singh said farmers would not be benefited because the multi-brand retailers will import cheap items from other countries and not procure them from within India.

On whether he would be part of Anna Hazare's core group, he said it was not necessary to be in a core group when one fights for a cause.

"My aim is to reclaim India and I will be working with people who have same thinking," he said.

V K Singh asks PM to dump report on freeing sugar

Joining a 'Parliament Gherao' agitation by sugarcane farmers, former army chief Gen V K Singh today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reject the Rangarajan Committee report on freeing sugar.

"No politician has worked for farmers. They get votes from you people by promising many things, but they forget that there is a community called farmers after the elections. Next time when you go to the polling booth, think who will fight for you and then vote only for that person," Gen Singh, who fought a bitter battle with Government on his age issue, said.

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