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Farmers on May 21, 2021 called for immediate intervention to resume discussions with Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to address longstanding demands of peasants and rural citizens.
The farmers organisation sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating the demands for: the repeal of the three farm Acts; legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) at C2+50 production; protection from the adverse impact of the proposed Electricity Bill.
Further, SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal asked the central government to deploy all energy and resources at its command to deal with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that has reached rural areas as well. In this regard, farmers recommended free treatment to all Covid-infected patients, free ration and livelihood support to needy citizens and free vaccination to all within six months.
“We do not wish to distract the government at this juncture, even though the hardship we face is mounting every day. That is why we have waited patiently for the past four months. But if we do not have a constructive and positive response from your government by May 25, we shall be constrained to announce a further intensification of our struggle in the next phase, beginning with the national day of protest on May 26,” said Rajewal.
Farmers protesting the three laws – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act – have remained stationed at Delhi borders for nearly six months. Accordingly, farmers’ national day of protest will also mark seven years of the BJP-regime in India.
“Your government at the Centre is the most anti-farmer government that this country has seen. Farmers and organisations across the country are planning to observe this as a Black Flag Day in protest against the utter inaction and callous approach of the government,” said SKM leader Darshan Pal in the letter.
Wednesday also marks Buddha Purnima, the birth, nirvana and parinirvana of Lord Buddha. Following similar ideals, the SKM asserted its resolve and faith in peaceful mass struggles and democratic solutions through dialogue. Leaders said that they agreed for multiple rounds of discussion despite the repression and defamation unleashed by it against the movement.
Farmers said that any democratic government would have repealed the three contentious laws and seized this opportunity to provide a legal guarantee of minimum support price to all farmers. However, the current Government of India has turned it into a prestige point and refused to budge.
“Worse, your government has shut the doors for any dialogue since January 22, even when you claimed the opposite. We have so far lost more than 470 colleagues in this movement due to this obstinacy on the part of your government,” said Rajewal.
Deeply conscious of the risks of Covid-19, farmer leaders said they do not want to expose protesting farmers or anyone else to the infection or any health hazard. However, they stressed that farmers will not give up on the struggle until their demands are met.
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