The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called for a nationwide farmers’ protest on March 21, accusing the Centre of “betraying the assurances given to the farmers’ movement” and protesting the government’s alleged role in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
In December, the protesting farmers’ unions under the SKM banner had suspended their year-long mass agitation on the borders of the capital after the Centre gave them a written commitment that a committee would be set up to consider their demand for a legal guarantee that all farmers would receive minimum support prices (MSP) for their produce. Other assurances included a withdrawal of cases against protesting farmers and compensation for the families of farmers who had died during the protest.
“The Morcha reviewed the written assurances given by the Government of India to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on 9th December and found that even after three months, the government had not acted upon its key assurances,” an SKM statement issued after a meeting of its members said on Monday. “There is no trace of the assurance of forming a committee on MSP.” A week-long nationwide campaign on MSP is being planned from April 11 to 17. However, there is currently no plan to resume the mass agitation at the capital.
