Agriculture

Samyukta Kisan Morcha Press Release
359th day, 20th November 2021

Kisan Andolan continues its struggle for all its rightful demands to be met by the Government of India - Samyukt Kisan Morcha appeals to all protesting farmers to continue with the announced programs with full energies put in - SKM appeals to farmers to make Lucknow Kisan Mahapanchayat a great success on November 22nd - Farmers are urged to join in large numbers at all morcha sites on the first anniversary of the historic andolan on November 26th - Toll plazas will continue to remain freed up - Parliament March will happen as planned from November 29th

While the Prime Minister of India announced his Government's decision to repeal 3 black farm laws, he chose to remain silent on the pending demands of farmers - More than 670 martyrs in the farmers' movement so far and Government of India did not even acknowledge their sacrifice - Hundreds of false cases in which thousands of farmers have been implicated in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere

Victory for farmers in Hansi yesterday

The Kisan Andolan led by Samyukt Kisan Morcha continues the struggle to get all demands of protesting farmers fulfilled. All announced plans are underway, and SKM appeals to farmers to join in very large numbers in the Lucknow Kisan Mahapanchayat on November 22nd, as planned earlier. SKM also appeals to farmers in various North Indian states to reach the different morcha sites on November 26th 2021, which marks the completion of a full one year of continuous peaceful protests at Delhi's borders. Similarly, toll plazas that have been freed up from any fee collections would continue to be kept so. In various states that are far away from Delhi, the first anniversary on Nov. 26th will be marked by tractor and bullock cart parades in capital cities, along with other protests. On the 28th Nov, there is a massive Maharashtrawide Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat that will be organised in Azad Maidan of Mumbai under the banner of Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha with over 100 organisations. From the 29th of November, peaceful and disciplined march to the Parliament in tractor trolleys, of 500 protestors per day, will go ahead as planned.

SKM, as stated yesterday after the Prime Minister's announcement of his Government's decision to repeal the 3 black farm laws, points out that there are pending demands that the Government is choosing to ignore even after such a protracted struggle with a high and avoidable human toll. Farmers of the country were struggling for a legally-guaranteed remunerative MSP for all agricultural produce for several years now, and have staged numerous protests around the country. The farm laws brought in by the Modi Government were in an opposite direction, and farmers were forced to put up resistance against these laws, in a battle of life and death for themselves and for future generations. Demand for statutory guarantee for a fair MSP is an integral part of the current agitation. Similarly, the current movement has also been seeking the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill completely and to keep farmers out of penal clauses related to statutes on air quality regulation in Delhi. All these demands are still pending.

So far, more than 670 protestors have sacrificed their lives in this movement. The Modi Government has refused to acknowledge the high human cost that was imposed on the protestors due to its adamant and egoistic behaviour. These martyrs' families have to be supported with compensation and employment opportunities. The martyrs also deserve homage to be paid to them in the Parliament session, and a memorial erected in their name. Hundreds of false cases have been slapped against thousands of farmers in various states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh etc. All these cases have to be withdrawn unconditionally.

In Lakhimpur Kheri farmers' massacre, the sutradhaar of the cold-blooded murder of farmers, Ajay Mishra Teni continues to evade any legal action, and also continues to be a Minister in the Modi Government. In fact, Ajay Mishra continues to adorn the stage in government functions like the Annual Conference of DGPs/IGPs underway in Lucknow from yesterday. In a provocative manner, he has been made by the DM of Lakhimpur Kheri as the Chief Guest of the inauguration event on 24th November, of the crushing season in Sampoornanagar sugar mill (a Coop Mill that owes at least 43 crores to farmers for the last season). The district administration surely realises the upset mood of the local farmers, and also knows that the Supreme Court is taking a suo motu interest in impartiality for justice in Lakhimpur Kheri Massacre. SKM advises the DM to cancel the planned event immediately. SKM demands strongly once again that Ajay Mishra Teni be arrested and sacked from the Council of Ministers of the Union Government.

In Hansi, farmers obtained victory yesterday. After the gherao of the SP's office was stepped up by farmers of Haryana, the administration agreed to the demands of the protestors yesterday. Hisar district administration invited a delegation from the dharna to discuss the demands of the protestors - compensation for injured protestor Kuldeep Rana undergoing treatment, job to a kin, filing of an FIR on PSO of MP etc. It was agreed that an SIT will be formed to find out how Kuldeep Rana got injured, a kin would be provided a job and adequate compensation would be paid to him besides his treatment expenses. The gherao was lifted subsequent to this.

Nagaraj K who is on a solo padayatra from Karnataka to the morcha sites of SKM has reached Kosi Kalan in Uttar Pradesh yesterday and was warmly received by local farmers.

Numerous Chief Ministers welcomed the Government of India announcement yesterday - this includes states of Delhi, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu etc. Some of the Chief Ministers also pressed for pending demands of the farmers be fulfilled.

Yesterday, even as many protesting farmers were celebrating the first major victory that they obtained, Mr Jaswinder Singh from Muktsar district's Malout (in Punjab), and associated with BKU Kadian union, sacrificed his life for the movement. He had never gone home from Tikri Border after reaching there on 26th November 2020. Martyr Jaswinder heard the good news of the PM's announcement, and was happy about the first victory of the agitation. This movement is made up of many many such warriors.

Issued by -
Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma 'Kakkaji', Yudhvir Singh

Samyukta Kisan Morcha
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