The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organisation of about 500 farmers’ outfits, has called for grameen bandh (rural strike) on February 16 against the farm policies of the Centre.
The All India Convention of the SKM, held in Jalandhar on Tuesday, also decided to seek alternative policies in the farm sector based on production cooperatives and other people-centric models. The SKM is also holding a meeting with central trade unions on Wednesday to consider the possibility of an industrial strike too on February 16.
At the meeting, the members appealed farmers “to punish the pro-corporate, anti-farmer BJP government” at the Centre by voting against the NDA in the general election. The SKM alleged that the Centre has formulated and implemented policies to deliberately worsen the economic condition of farmers.
