Jammu: On the call for Bharat Bhand, Jammu and Kashmir Kissan Tehreek held protest demonstrations across the region on Monday.
The protest call was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — the umbrella body of farmer unions protesting against the Centre’s three agricultural laws.
“The protesters demanded repeal of anti-farmer laws passed by the BJP government undemocratically and unconstitutionally in the Parliament without any consultation, debate and discussion last year,” said a spokesperson J&K Kisan Threek.
“While addressing the protest demonstration at Jammu, CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami said that these anti-farmer laws are bound to destroy the agriculture sector and threaten India’s food security. Besides, these laws will lay the basis for the abolishment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and mortgage country’s agriculture and markets to the corporate sector,” the spokesperson said.
“The issue of fair price for their produce by ensuring a minimum support price for all crops has been a long pending demand of kissans. On the one hand, the farmers are facing the brunt of massively increased prices of diesel, petrol, fertilizers, other agricultural inputs and their daily necessities, and on the other hand, they are becoming poorer as their income is getting reduced. It is clear that farmers of this country are being made into agricultural labourers when it comes to their main source of income. By amending the Essential Commodities Act step price hike was seen in the essential communities like mustard oil prices have reached over Rs 200 per litre,” the spokesperson quoted Tarigami as saying.
“The historic kisan struggle demanding repeal of the agri-laws and legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price is continuing in its 10th month. The Modi government continues to remain adamant and is refusing to engage with these struggling kisans through talks. The government should immediately start negotiations with these kisan to sort the issue,” said Tarigami.
“Others who were leading and addressed the demonstration include Kishore Kumar President Kisan Tehreek, Sewa Ram, Banarasi Das, Mandav Sigh, Muzafar Wani, Jia Lal kisan leaders. They said that Jammu kisans are in solidarity with the struggling kisans across the country. They stressed that it was high time that the central government accepted the demands of the kisans who have been struggling for ten months now,” the spokesperson added.
