Step in right direction: SKM on agitating farmers rejecting government proposal

New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Tuesday welcomed the decision of farmer leaders taking part in the 'Dilli Chalo' agitation to reject the Centre's MSP proposal, saying it's a step in the right direction that will ensure greater unity among farmers across the country.

The SKM, which spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers' stir, also called on farmer groups to join mass protests in constituencies of BJP-NDA MPs on February 21.

Farmer leaders taking part in the 'Dilli Chalo' agitation on Monday rejected the Centre's proposal of procuring pulses, maize and cotton at minimum support price (MSP) by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in farmers' interest and announced that they will march towards the national capital on Wednesday.

Protesting farmers from Punjab have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points on the state's border with Haryana since February 13 when their 'Dilli Chalo' march was halted by police.

The call for the march was given by SKM (Non-Political), a splinter group of the SKM, and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to press farmers' demands.

In a statement on Tuesday, the SKM said it "welcomed the decision of SKM(NP) and KMM to reject the proposal of a five years contract farming for five crops on MSP@A2+FL+50% and crop diversification by the Union ministers and to continue the struggle till achieve all the common demands".

The decision is a step in the right direction and will ensure greater unity among farmers across India, said the SKM, an umbrella group of various farmer unions.

"...the need of the hour is unity of the kisan movement against the corporate forces. The SKM urges all the kisan organisations across India to support the mass protest of farmers in the constituencies of the BJP-NDA MPs on 21st February 2024 demanding implementation of the agreement signed by the Modi government with the SKM on 9th December 2021 and stop the brutal state repression... (of) farmers' struggle," the SKM said.

It further said, "The SKM declares it is the responsibility of the prime minister and the executive to implement the agreement they signed with the SKM on 9th December 2021 and do justice to the promise in the BJP manifesto of the 2014 general elections on implementing MSP@C2+50 per cent for all crops with legally guaranteed procurement."

The SKM said all pro-people experts and scientists have said that no MSP means a "human disaster" with intensifying poverty, indebtedness, unemployment and price rise.

"Certain sections opine (that) crop diversification helps address water level depreciation. The kisan movement is not against crop diversification per say but not by undermining staple food production, food security and thus, the sovereignty of the country," the statement said.

The SKM said the argument that the Union government has to find Rs 11 lakh crore to provide MSP to farmers for all 23 crops is "baseless".

"The legally guaranteed procurement does not mean the government has to pay and procure but to ensure the corporate forces share their profit with farmers as remunerative price," it said.

This policy shift will result in employment generation, better prices and wages for workers and farmers, and more tax income for the central and state governments, it said.

Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.