The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided here on Sunday to hold protests in front of the houses of all NDA MPs on February 21 demanding that the agreements with the SKM made on December 2, 2021, at the time of withdrawing the farmers’ protests against three farm laws should be implemented immediately. In Punjab, where farmers from SKM-Non Political are on a rally towards Delhi, the SKM will hold day and night mass protests against MPs and MLAs belonging to the NDA camp.
The demands include minimum support price (MSP) as recommended by the M.S. Swaminathan Committee, comprehensive loan waiver, no privatisation of electricity, dismissal and prosecution of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni for his alleged role as a conspirator in Lakhimpur Kheri incident and stop the repression of farmers on the Punjab border.
Linking the Supreme Court verdict on electoral bonds with the farmers’ problems, the SKM condemned the Narendra Modi government for legalising corruption through electoral bonds and piling up thousands of crores as party funds. The SKM alleged that the pro-corporate farm Laws, labour codes, Electricity Act amendments, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in which insurance companies have amassed over ₹57,000 crores at the expense of farmers, pre-paid smart meters, sale of profit-making public sector undertakings, privatisation of airports and ports, a host of such legislation and policies are all favours returned to its corporate cronies. “The BJP had accumulated thousands of crores by legalising corruption, deployed it for toppling democratically elected governments as well as influencing elections through massive propaganda, impossible to match for any other political party. The SKM hopes that this verdict will also spur a movement to clear doubts over the EVM by making it a fool-proof mechanism,” the SKM said.
The SKM National Coordination Committee and general body will meet on February 21 and 22 to take stock of the situation and decide future plans of action to intensify the ongoing struggles.
In another statement, the SKM said the Centre offers MSP for only 23 crops and does not assure procurement at this price. “Result is that paddy MSP is ₹2,183 per quintal, however it is purchased by traders and their intermediaries in Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh for as low as ₹1,200-₹1400 per quintal. Similarly, wheat MSP for 2023-24 was ₹2,125, but it was being purchased in areas with no government procurement at ₹1,800 per quintal,” it said, adding that for farmers it is distress sale at the time of harvest.
