SKM gives unity call against Centre

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 32 farm unions, passed a resolution calling for unity among the farm factions for joint action against the Centre over unfulfilled demands during the second kisan mahapanchayat at Moga on Thursday.

Passing the ‘unity resolution’, the SKM called for a joint farmers’ movement to get the draft of the national policy framework for agricultural marketing scraped, implementation of the agreed demands of the Delhi morcha, including the creation of a law for legal guarantee of MSP as per recommendations of the Swaminathan report, debt relief of farmers, labourers and to redress other issues of the cultivators.

This was the second gathering of the farm unions. In the first kisan mahapanchayat organised at Haryana’s Tohana on January 4, a resolution was passed against the draft agricultural marketing policy. The SKM is not part of the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest, spearheaded by SKM (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

SKM leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan while reading the resolution said they have prepared a proposal for joint action by the SKM, SKM (non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

“A joint action of farmers against the central government’s draft national policy framework for agricultural marketing is needed. The farmer unions need to put all their energy into making this agitation a national level. It should be accepted that there should be joint demands, a joint goal of the agitation and coordination among farmers,” Ugrahan said.

Besides Ugrahan, the mahapanchayat was also addressed by Balbir Singh Rajewal, Rakesh Tikait, Dr Darshan Pal and Raminder Patiala.

6-member panel to meet farm leaders at Khanauri, Shambhu

Farmer leaders further announced that a six-member “ekta committee” of SKM will go to Khanauri and Shambhu border on Friday (Jan 10) to present the unity resolution passed at the Moga mahapanchayat. The six-member committee will include SKM leaders— Balbir Singh Rajewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Darshan Pal, Rakesh Tikait, Raminder Patiala and Krishna Prasad.

They said all the morchas will also be invited for a joint meeting on January 15 at Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib in Patiala at 11 am.

The SKM’s call for unity comes amidst the ongoing stir by SKM (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha at Khanauri and Shambhu. Veteran farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on indefinite hunger strike at Khanauri since November 26 last year over farmers’ various demands including seeking a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

“Appropriate steps should be taken after consultation with each other. All the fronts of farmers involved in this agitation should come together on a common platform. SKM suggests that SKM (non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha should consent that they will put all their efforts into the call of joint action and will not call for counteraction,” Ugrahan further said.

Tractor march on Jan 26

SKM also announced to burn copies of the draft of the national policy framework on agricultural marketing on January 13 at the tehsil headquarters and to hold a tractor march on January 26. The leaders also asked the Punjab government to call a special session of the Vidhan Sabha and pass a resolution to reject the draft of agricultural marketing policy.

Ugrahan further said that SKM leaders should refrain from making any negative comments on the ongoing farmer agitations. “This has been decided by the SKM. We have coordinated with those morcha in the past and in the future we will try to bring unity among all the morchas or at least bring them to minimum coordination terms. We also give consent to a ban on making damaging comments against other farmer leaders on public platforms or social media. We give consent to solve the differences through internal dialogue,” Ugrahan further said while reading the resolution.

Centre responsible for Dallewal’s condition: Rajewal

SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said to save the life of Dallewal, the central government should immediately start talks with the unions. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan are directly responsible for the condition of Dallewal. The BJP government will be responsible if anything happens to Dallewal. The SKM will not hesitate to take strict action,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, Tikait said the central government was not bothered about Dallewal whose fast-unto-death entered 45th day on Thursday.

“SKM is completely with them. Our committee will meet them tomorrow. We are ready to work unitedly,” he asserted.

SKM said that the parliamentary standing committee’s recommendation for legally guaranteed MSP was incomplete as it had forgotten the Swaminathan formula. “SKM does not accept this incomplete recommendation,” they added.

The SKM has also called its national meeting in New Delhi on January 24 and 25 to chalk out the strategy for the upcoming future struggle programme.