SKM to resume agitation over pending demands, but won’t march to Delhi

Neeraj Mohan

New Delhi, July 11

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body comprising 40 farm unions which spearheaded the farmers’ Delhi stir in 2021, today announced to resume its agitation over its pending demands, including a legal guarantee for the MSP and loan waiver, and submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Farmer leaders to submit charter of demands to Modi, Rahul

• SKM leader Hannan Mollah said they would meet PM Narendra Modi and LoP Rahul Gandhi to submit their charter of demands
• The morcha will also meet Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha MPs on July 16, 17 & 18 and urge them to pressure the govt to accept their demands
• The SKM leaders did not comment on the ongoing agitation by the SKM (Non-Political) at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders

The decision was taken at a general body meeting. However, farm leaders clarified that this time, they would not march to Delhi, but would hold protests in all states.

SKM leader Hannan Mollah said they would meet PM Modi and the Leader of the Opposition to submit their charter of demands. Members of the SKM would also meet Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs on July 16, 17 and 18 to urge them to pressure the NDA government to accept their pending demands immediately.

On August 9, the SKM would observe “Corporates Quit India Day” by holding demonstrations across the country in support of its demands. The protests would be held nationwide, demanding India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation and exclusion of multi-national companies from agricultural production and trade.

The SKM leaders did not comment on the ongoing agitation by the SKM (Non-Political) at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.

On August 17, the SKM’s Punjab unit would hold three-hour protest in front of the residences of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his ministers on the issues of water crisis, debt burden, opening the India-Pakistan trade through road corridors and federal demands of the state against the “policy of centralisation of power and resources” by the Modi-led NDA government.

The same day, the SKM would also organise seminars in all states on the issue of water crisis and climate change affecting agriculture.

The SKM’s state coordination committees would “expose, oppose and punish” the BJP in the poll-bound Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir.