Demanding MSP guarantee, loan waiver, SKM holds protest in Palwal

Activists of the district unit of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and some labour unions staged a protest here on Tuesday to highlight their pending demands. The SKM held a sit-in at Devi Lal Park before submitting a memorandum to the district authorities.

Held under the chairmanship of Chetram, a senior farm leader, the protesters expressed their concern over the alleged delay in the acceptance and implementation of the demands connected with the farming community.

Mahender Singh, a spokesperson of the SKM, said while the protest was part of the nationwide programme organised by various trade unions and farmers’ bodies, the demand for the legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and the waiving of the outstanding loans of the farmers had not been accepted and implemented despite assurances by the Union Government.

He said the farmers were upset over the failure of the withdrawal of cases registered against them during the 13-month-long agitation carried out last year.

Urmila Rawat, a leader of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said no measure had been taken for the restoration of labour laws and stopping the attacks on labourers in the country so far. She said it was on this day in 2020 when the trade unions had called for a nationwide strike against the four anti-labour labour codes and the farmers had started their historic march towards the Parliament against the three black agricultural laws.

Though the ‘anti-farmer’ laws were withdrawn after a long struggle by the farmers, the promises made by the Central Government to the farmers have not been fulfilled till date.

“While the cost of farming and inflation had been rising by 12-15 per cent every year, the government is increasing the MSP by only 2-7 per cent,” said Tarachand, a farm leader here.

He said the MSP of paddy had increased by only 5.35 per cent to Rs 2,300 per quintal in 2024-25 without implementing the

standard formula and

giving any guarantee of procurement.

The repealing of the labour codes, hike in minimum wages to Rs 26,000, suspension of the privatisation policy of government undertakings, comprehensive insurance scheme for farmers and crops have been the other demands raised in the memorandum submitted to the Tehsildar of Palwal.