4 years of farmers' protest: SKM, trade unions stage demonstrations across country

New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) A nationwide mass mobilisation of famers and workers commemorated the fourth anniversary of the yearlong farmers' protest against three central farm laws on Tuesday.

A million people took part after a call by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations and Associations, the two organisations said in a joint statement. The three farm laws were later repealed due to the agitation in 2020-21.

Mass protests were also held in urban and rural areas and industrial areas in many states. Lunch hour demonstrations were held in many offices in solidarity with the protest action. Leaders of the central trade unions (CTU) and SKM participated in various places, the statement said.

A joint memorandum was also sent to President Droupadi Murmu by CTUs and SKM.

At several locations, police used force to stop the protests. "In Bhagalpur, Bihar, police lathicharged the workers and farmers who were demonstrating in front of the DM's office. Six people were injured. Police has arrested three leaders," the statement said.

"The CTUs and SKM will meet soon to take the review of the campaign and further intensification of struggles for achieving their demands with the shift in the pro-corporate policy paradigm of the incumbent government," it added.

"The working people of India are facing a deep crisis with the NDA-3 government's policies aimed to enrich the corporates and super rich. While the cost of cultivation and inflation is rising at higher than 12-15 per cent, every year, the government is increasing MSP by only 2 to 7percent," they said.

The memorandum said paddy MSP was raised by only 5.35 percent to Rs. 2,300 per quintal in 2024-25 without applying C2+50 percent formulae and no guarantee of procurement.

They also said the central government failed to lift the crop procured last year, stalling paddy procurement this year due to lack of space in mandis.

"Farmers are forced onto the streets again even to save their meagre MSP, APMC markets, FCI and PDS supply," they said.

They said "perpetual deficit" in farming has caused higher debts and more eviction from agriculture, and the acute agrarian crisis forces rural youth in lakhs to migrate to towns and inflate the reserve army of labour.

"This has a grave impact on workers in Industrial and service sectors. The four labour codes being imposed by the central government annuls any guarantee on minimum wages, secured employment, social security, proper working time and right to unionise," it said.

They also said the government has not kept its promises made to farmers when the protest at Delhi borders was called off.

The SKM and CTUs listed a set of demands, including MSP at C2+50 per cent with legally guaranteed procurement for all crops, repealing the new labour laws, no contractualisation or outsourcing of labour, implement a national minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month and pension of Rs 10,000 per month, as well as social security benefits for all workers including organised, unorganised, scheme workers and contract workers and agriculture sector.

They also demanded a comprehensive loan waiver for farmers and agricultural workers, stopping privatisation of public sector undertakings and public services including Defense, Railways, Health, Education, Electricity, and scrapping the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), among other things. PTI AO SKY SKY