New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold marches to Raj Bhavan across the country on November 26, alleging a breach of assurance by the Centre on farmers’ pending demands, the organisation announced on Thursday.
The SKM, a body of farmers’ unions that spearheaded the agitation against the new agri laws later repealed by the Centre, has called a meeting on December 8 to decide the future course of the movement.
The farmers will also celebrate November 19 as “Fateh Diwas” or “Victory Day” as the Centre had ordered the repeal of the new farm laws following their agitation.
“Marches to offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of all political parties will be held from December 1 to 11,” SKM leader Darshan Pal said at a press conference here. The decisions were taken during the SKM’s National Council meeting on November 14.
The press conference was also attended by other farm leaders including Hannan Mollah, Yudhvir Singh, Avik Saha and Ashok Dhawale. The leaders condemned the Modi government for “betraying the farmers” by not implementing the written assurances made on December 9 last year on legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), and withdrawal of the Electricity Bill among others, though almost one year has now passed.
“The meeting resolved to advise all constituent organisations to be prepared to further intensify the struggle across the country,” Hannan Mollah said.
“The SKM appealed to all farmers to prepare for and join continuous and committed countrywide struggles till all demands including ‘Karza Mukti – Poora Daam’ _ ‘Freedom from Indebtedness and Full Remunerative Price’- are fulfilled by the government,” he added.
The SKM leaders also condemned the BJP-led Modi government’s “hurried” attempt to clear GM-Mustard seeds.
“This is being done to facilitate corporate profiteering through seed monopoly, without adequate scientific research on the impact on environment, nature and on the life of humans and livestock,” Hannan Mollah said.
The SKM also expressed disappointment at the Union government and accused the Centre of completely reneging on the written promises made to the farmers when the protest was lifted on December 9.
The farmers’ body claimed that neither the committee on MSP had been formed nor the “false” cases registered against farmers during the agitation were withdrawn.
It also accused the government of not being ready to consider the biggest demand of the farmers — a legal guarantee on MSP.
Farmer unions’ body SKM has rejected the government’s committee on MSP, saying “so-called farmer leaders” who supported the now-repealed farm laws are its members and do not talk about ensuring the legal rights of farmers.
The Union minister’s son, Ashish Mishra, is an accused in the violence that left four farmers dead here last year. “The next meeting of the SKM is scheduled on 8 December 2022 at Karnal in which the next phase of the movement will be decided,” Yudhvir Singh said.
