Farmers hold protest, seek legal guarantee for MSP

Amritsar, December 11

Farm unions associated with the Samyukat Kisan Morcha (SKM) took out a march from district courts to the office of Lok Sabha member Gurjit Singh Aujla to push for their demands, and asked the MP to raise the issues concerning them in Parliament.

The march was led by various union leaders like Satnam Singh Ajnala, Lakhbir Singh Nizampura, Dhanwant Singh Khatarekalan, Jatinder Singh Chinna, Balbir Singh Mudhal, Bhupinder Singh Tirathpura and Nishan Singh Sagna.

The farmers demanded that the minimum support price (MSP) for different crops be fixed in accordance with the Dr Swaminathan formula, which states that producers should get 50 per cent profit over their input costs. They also demanded the enactment of an act to ensure a legal guarantee for the MSP.

Ajnala of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha said, “The Central Government has still not sacked Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni from Uttar Pradesh even though his involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence is clear.” He stated that despite the fact that four farmers and a journalist had been mowed down, the police still booked four farmers. He demanded that Teni be immediately arrested. Ajnala also demanded that all cases registered against farmers and activists during the agitation against the three farm laws be withdrawn.

Nizampura of the All India Kisan Sabha said, “The Electricity Amendment Bill, if passed, would have a detrimental effect on wide sections of society. The SKM has also demanded that the government repeal the Bill.” He rued that, due to poor agriculture policies of the Centre and state government, the farmers are entangled in a debt trap. The SKM leader also demanded that all the agricultural loans of the farmers be waived off.