SKM announces to relaunch farmers’ agitation against Centre for pending demands

Neeraj Mohan

New Delhi, July 10
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body comprising 40 farmer unions from across India, has announced the relaunch of its farmers’ agitation to press for their long-pending demands. This decision emerged from a crucial meeting of the SKM’s executive committee, aiming to reignite the movement that had previously forced the Centre to repeal three controversial bills.

SKM leader Hannan Mollah said that SKM will kickstart its renewed struggle by presenting an updated demand charter to all MPs, both from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Delegations from the SKM state leadership will personally meet MPs on July 16, 17 and 18, urging them to pressurise the NDA government to take immediate action on their demands. The leadership also seeks appointments with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to hand over the memorandum of demands, which included legally guaranteed MSP at C2+50 per cent with guaranteed procurement for all crops and comprehensive loan waivers.

As per the plan, on August 9, SKM will observe “Corporates Quit India Day”, marking the anniversary of the historic Quit India Movement. Protests will be held nationwide, emphasising demands such as India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the exclusion of multinational corporations from agricultural production and trade. State coordination committees will tailor the form of these campaigns.

However, the SKM leaders did not speak about the ongoing agitation by SKM (Non-Political) at Haryana and Punjab borders for similar demands. But they said the SKM Punjab unit will hold a three-hour protest outside the residences of all Punjab ministers, including the Chief Minister, addressing specific state demands. These include tackling the severe water crisis, debt burden, reopening trade routes with Pakistan, and resisting the centralisation of policies by the Modi-led NDA government. Concurrently, SKM will organise seminars across states on water crisis, climate change and the commodification of natural resources.

In anticipation of the upcoming assembly elections, SKM state coordination committees in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Jammu and Kashmir will convene meetings to ensure electoral support for their cause.