Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hold 'Kisan Mahapanchyat' outside Parliament on March 20

CHANDIGARH: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of various farmers’ unions, on Thursday, decided to hold a 'Kisan Mahapanchyat' outside the Parliament in Delhi on March 20.

The farmers' outfit said the 'Mahapanchayat' will be held to press for a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) and further called the 2023 Budget "anti-farmer."

SKM's other demands include withdrawal of cases against farmers, Rs 5,000 monthly pension for farmers, debt waiver, the sacking of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, and compensation for those who died during the farmers' stir among others.

Senior SKM leader Dr Darshan Pal after the meeting of the farmers' unions at Kurukshetra in Haryana told this newspaper that the body has decided to hold 'Kisan Mahapanchyat' in Delhi on March 20 and they will seek permission for it to be held at the Ram Lila ground and if not given permission then they will hold it at Jantar Mantar.

"This 'Mahapanchayat' will be dedicated to Bhagat Singh Rajguru and Sukhdev. We will reiterate various demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price. This 'Mahapanchayat' will be against anti- farmer budget and other pending issues including legal guarantee of MSP procurement of all crops, loan waiver, pension for farmers and agricultural workers, demanding a pro-farmer policy for insurance claims of the damaged crops, withdrawal of Electricity Amendment Bill 2022 and dismissal of MoS Ajay Mishra Teni for his role in Lakhimpur Kheri incident,’’ said Singh.

Singh described the budget as "anti-farmer" and "anti-agriculture" due to drastic cuts in all allocations pertaining to farmers, rural development, education, health, Mnrega apart from subsidy cuts in fertilizers, food security etc. "The next course of action for a pan-India farmers movement will be decided in another meeting of SKM," he said.

The national-level meeting held at Jat Dharamshala in Kurukshetra was presided by Yudhvir Singh, Dr Sunilam and Raja Ram Singh who also finalized the rules and regulations for the affiliation of various constituents with the platform and its structural composition in order to consolidate and expand the umbrella organization that successfully spearheaded a year-long struggle against three farm laws.

The rules and regulations of the morcha's day-to-day activities were finalized. A coordination committee of 31 members will be formed and representatives from farmers' unions at the district level and all India level will be taken. There will also be a general body of the morcha and rotational secretariat to ensure the participation of everyone," he said.

Meanwhile, the meeting also passed a resolution demanding the dismissal of Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh was accused of sexual assault by a woman coach.