Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of farm unions, has announced it will resume its agitation over pending demands, including a legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) and loan waiver. The official announcement was made followed by a meet.
The SKM will submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, listing the farmers' demands. The agitation will include nationwide protests, particularly in assembly election-bound states like Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana.
SKM has demanded a legally guaranteed MSP, comprehensive insurance coverage, monthly pension for farmers and agricultural workers, and implementation of the land acquisition law of 2013.
The farmers' body has also sought compensation for families of those who died during the farmers' movement and withdrawal of cases related to the agitation. The SKM has condemned the government for violating the agreement made after the farmers' protest in 2020-21.
The agitation will include demonstrations across the country on August 9, and seminars on water crisis and climate change affecting agriculture on August 17. The SKM has also demanded a separate budget for agriculture, abolition of the Department of Cooperation, and no GST on agricultural inputs.
In a statement, released after the press conference, the SKM said, "The general body has decided to resume the agitation demanding implementation of the agreement, dated December 9, 2021, that the Union government has with the SKM, signed by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Government of India, and other key demands affecting the livelihood of farmers."
"The same method of protest does not have to be used every time. We will hold protests across the country," All India Kisan Sabha's (AIKS) Hannan Mollah, who was a part of the general body meeting, said.
"The general body meeting strongly condemned the anti-farmer government of the NDA for violating the agreement made after the supreme sacrifice of 736 martyrs and sufferings of lakhs of farmers who participated for 384 days - 26th November 2020 to 11th December 2021 - of consistent...struggle at the Delhi borders," the SKM said in its statement.
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