NEW DELHI: Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a joint forum of farmers' organisations, protesting at the Delhi borders against the Centre's farm laws on Monday appealed to the farmers in Bihar to join the agitation to get the benefit of minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
At a press conference, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the three farm laws were brought to benefit the capitalists and reiterated the demand to withdraw them and provide legal guarantee for MSP of 23 crops.
The "maximum impact" of disintegration of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) has been seen in Bihar.
The farmers in Bihar have been forced to the verge of misery and to seek employment in other states since they do not get the MSP for their crops, a statement said.
"Due to non implementation of MSP, the farmers and workers in Bihar have been completely devastated. A movement is currently underway for implementation of MSP in Bihar and the entire country. The farmers and workers in Bihar should actively join it," Chaduni said in the statement.
All the farmers bodies in the country are fighting the joint battle on behalf of the farmers in the country under the banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha.
The farmers are agitating under the open sky and biting cold since November 27 at Delhi borders, it said.
"We request Bihar farmers that if MSP is guaranteed by law, the paddy will be purchased at Rs 1,888 per quintal and maize at Rs 1,850 per quintal instead of Rs 1,000 and Rs 800 per quintal respectively.
"Prices of other crops will also increase and condition of farmers will change.
It is therefore highly required that farmers from Bihar join this movement to save the farmers and people from this loot," said the statement.
The Morcha said the capitalists are "grabbing" the nation which is widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
The money has gone in the hands of the capitalists and vanished from the market.
This has led to a sharp decline in GDP and starvation has increased in the country, it said.
"India, which was known as a golden bird, has reached 94th spot among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index," the statement said.
The whole agricultural business will go into the hands of the capitalists due to the existing laws and the farmers will get minimum rates of the produce while it will be sold to the consumers at maximum price, the statement claimed.
"We demand scrapping of the three laws. The government should pay the difference if the traders purchase crops at lower than MSP rates," it said.
The central government on Sunday asked protesting farmer unions to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the new agri laws and choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.