NEW DELHI: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers’ unions collective, wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi, apprising him of breaking promises made to farmers and use of repressive measures against protesting farmers in Punjab -Haryana Border.
The SKM urged Modi to take sympathy on the plight of farmers in the face of severe onslaught of the corporate intervention in agriculture actively supported by the Union Budgets and departmental actions.
The SKM is different from today’s protesting farmers organisations SKM(non-political).
The collective in its letter expressed deep regret over the union government’s approach of not solving the problems promised by the government and has been hesitant to talk with SKM while more interested in dividing farmers groups.
The SKM gave call for an Industrial / Sectoral Strike and Grameen Bharat Bandh on February 16, 2024 in support of the 21 point demand charter of farmers and workers in the hope that the government will see reason to address and solve the problems it had had promised to SKM on Dec 9, 2021.
The morcha, at the forefront of the 2021 protest against the now-repealed three laws, outlined its requisites. These include MSP for all crops following the Swaminathan formula of C2+50% with a legally guaranteed procurement, debt waiver coupled with reduced input costs, opposition to any increase in electricity tariff and the installation of smart meters as proposed in the new electricity bill. Additionally, they demand free 300 units of electricity for agricultural purposes, domestic use, and shops.
They also demand comprehensive crop insurance payable for damage to each plot of land; punishment to Guilty of the Lakhimpur carnage including sending main accused Ajay Misra Teni to jail; hike in pensions to Rs 10,000 per month and others.
The morcha said the central government failed to form and conduct the committee to look into all these issues and resolve them in a time-bound manner. "Your ministers have been hesitant to talk with the SKM while more interested to talk with other platforms to project that the farmers' movement is divided to escape from your constitutional responsibility of solving the problems that distress the farmers," they said.
The letter further highlights repressive measures taken against peaceful protesting farmers.“Your govt and that of Haryana and UP led by the BJP have resorted to repressive measures on peaceful protests of farmers and inflict an atmosphere of terror on common farmers,” conveyed the letter.
