Demanding MSP guarantee, farmers seek President Murmu’s intervention

Four years after the launch of the farmers’ protest under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, trade unions and farmer-labour groups have urged President Droupadi Murmu to intervene in protecting their rights.

Key demands raised by the protesters included the repeal of the three farm laws, guaranteed MSP for all crops based on the Swaminathan report, scrapping of labour codes, a ban on workforce outsourcing, 200 days of assured work under MGNREGA with Rs 600 daily wages, a minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month, and a pension of Rs 10,000 per month under social security. Leaders submitted a memorandum outlining these demands to the President through the Deputy Commissioner’s office after a protest.

District President CITU Abdul Satar said a delegation led by President Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) Kulwinder Singh Billa, handed over a memorandum addressed to the President through Assistant Commissioner (G) Gurmit Kumar Bansal, after organising a protest rally in front of district administrative complex.

Farm leaders said common people including farmers, labourers, workers, employees and small traders were suffering due to the defective policies of the government, which were designed to benefit the corporate sector solely.

“While prices of inputs have been hiking between 12-15 per cent, successive governments have been providing nominal increases between 2-7 per cent on major crops,” said Bhudan during the protest rally.

Activist also stated that thousands of farmers committed suicide due to severe losses caused by rising input costs and disproportionately low increases in crop prices.