SKM to hold protests on Wednesday to mark 5 years of agitation against farm laws

New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) Ahead of a countrywide protest to be held on Wednesday to mark five years of the farmers' agitation against the now-withdrawn farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has prepared a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu demanding that a law be enacted immediately to enforce MSP based on the Swaminathan Commission formula.

The memorandum, which the farmer organisations plan to submit at the state and district levels after the protests on Wednesday, also demands a loan waiver for farmers and agricultural workers, withdrawal of the Electricity Bill, 2025 and repeal of the four labour codes, among others being raised by the SKM.

On November 26, the SKM, in coordination with the trade union movement and the agriculture workers movement, will hold a worker-farmer protest action in New Delhi as well as in the state capitals and district centres. The day marks five years of the farmers' Delhi march which led to a sit-in protest at the Delhi borders for over a year against the three farm laws.

The memorandum addressed to President Murmu said farmers and workers across the country are "once again forced to hold mass protest demonstrations" on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the historic farmers' struggle.

"The historic farmers' struggle began on 26 November, 2020 at Delhi borders, actively supported by the united trade union movement, lasted for 380 days, sacrificed the lives of 736 farmers and succeeded in forcing the Government of India to repeal the three pro-corporate farm Acts," it said.

It noted that the protest was suspended following written assurance by the Union government to form a committee to fulfil the pending demands of the farmers including MSP according to a comprehensive formula (C2+50%) recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.

"For the last five years, the farmers of India have waited patiently for the government of India to fulfil the assurances. Unfortunately, it has instituted measures that further ruined the economic sustenance of farmers and eroded agricultural self-reliance and food security of the country," the SKM said.

It alleged that there has been an "unprecedented number of distress suicides" over the last 11 years.

"The prime minister's promise in 2017 to double the income of the farmers by 2022 has proved a damp squib; rather, the cost of production has been doubled while the cost of living tripled," it said.

The SKM also demanded enhancing MGNREGS work days to 200 and Rs 700 wage, restoring fertiliser subsidies, ensuring adequate supply of DAP and urea fertilisers, and declaring all floods and landslides as national disasters, among others.

The SKM also urged the president to "safeguard federal rights", end "bulldozer raj" (demolitions by bulldozers), displacement of landless without rehabilitation and resettlement, and demanded strict implementation of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The SKM also said that the imposition of 50 per cent US tariffs on India should be seen as an attack on the sovereignty of the country and strict reciprocal action should be taken. PTI AO AO KSS KSS