SKM to hold nationwide protest on Mar 21 against non-fulfilment of Centre's promises to farmers

There has been no progress in fulfilling the promises made by the Centre to farmers on the issue of forming a panel on MSP to make legislation on it, withdrawal of cases against farmers and expulsion of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni from the Cabinet.

New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold a nationwide protest on March 21 to protest against the Centre for not fulfilling its promises, including setting up of a panel on MSP and withdrawal of cases against farmers, its functionaries said on Monday.

It was decided after a day-long closed door meeting was held at the Gandhi Peace Foundation at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg here. SKM leaders and members reviewed the progress made so far by the Centre on the promises made to farmers, including setting up a panel on MSP.

"There has been no progress in fulfilling the promises made by the Centre to farmers on the issue of forming a panel on MSP to make legislation on it, withdrawal of cases against farmers and expulsion of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni from the Cabinet. "So the SKM has decided to hold a nationwide protest at district and block level on March 21 against the central government for non fulfilling promises," senior SKM member Abhimanyu Kohar told the media. The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, had spearheaded a year-long agitation against the Centre's three farm laws.

It had suspended the stir on December 9 last year after the government revoked the contentious laws and agreed to consider its six other demands, including withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the agitation, a legal guarantee on MSP and compensation for kin of farmers who died during the protest. Later in a statement, the SKM said farmers will observe 'MSP guarantee week' from April 11 to 17 under its next phase of nationwide campaign.

The non-implementation of the assurances given by the government to the farmers' movement, even after three months, exposes its anti-farmer intentions, the statement said. "It was unanimously decided that between April 11 and 17, a nationwide campaign would be launched by observing MSP Legal Guarantee Week. During this week, all the constituent organizations associated with the SKM will organize demonstrations and seminars, demanding legal guarantee of MSP as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, the statement said.

The Morcha reviewed the written assurances given by the government to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on December 9 and found that even after three months the government had not acted upon its key assurances, it said.

"There is no trace of the assurance of forming a committee on MSP. Except Haryana, the police cases registered against the farmers during the agitation in other states have not been withdrawn. Delhi Police has spoken of partial withdrawal of some cases but there is no concrete information about that as well. "The SKM has decided to organize a nationwide protest on March 21, regarding the role of the government in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, and the betrayal of the assurances given to the farmers' movement," the SKM statement said.

PTI