On October 8, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) released a press statement expressing solidarity with the recent mass raids on Newsclick and its associated journalists and called for launching nation-wide protests against this ‘renewed attack on farmer’s movement’. The SKM voiced their ‘shock’ at the ‘scurrilous and malafide allegations made against the historic SKM-led Farmers Movement’ in the FIR filed against the news portal by the Delhi Police. Notably, on October 3, a special cell of the Delhi Police had conducted simultaneous raids targeting Newsclick and had arrested founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty.
The FIR against Newsclick provides that the Farmers’ Movement was to “disrupt supplies and services essential to the life of community in India, abet damage and destruction of property, cause huge loss to the Indian economy and create internal law and order problems, through illegal foreign funding.” Notable, as per multiple media reports, even during interrogation, the journalists had been asked by the police whether they had covered the farmers’ protest of 2020. Rejecting these allegations, the statement highlights that the farmers had participated in peaceful protests for 13 months in exercise of their fundamental rights. As per the press release, the protest were a ‘spontaneous expression of high degree of nationalism’ to the ‘three black farm laws that aimed to establish legal control of corporates over cropping pattern through contract farming, over mandis, food processing and food distribution through the Mandi Act and modifications in the Essential Commodities Act and to do away with Govt. procurement, price support and PDS Ration security’
The statement rather emphasized the role that the ruling government played in oppressing the democratic rights of the farmers, by using violent excessive force as well as blocking and digging up roads. On the accusation that the farmers’ protest created a law and order situation. the statement provided that ‘It is the Union Govt. and BJP-RSS combine that created law and order problems by mowing down farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri under running vehicles, killing four farmers and one journalist. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and his son were behind this attack. Till now the Prime Minister has not removed the delinquent Minister and ensured legal action against the culprits. 735 farmers including Lakhimpur Kheri farmers had to sacrifice their lives to counter the repression by Modi Government.’
Furthermore, the statement also addresses the allegation that the farmers’ movement was illegal and foreign funded by stating that ‘Funds from China have been received by PM Modi in PM Care Fund and Gautam Adani in his business. The Farmers’ Movement succeeded, overcoming enormous hardship and with great sacrifice of the farmers. To belittle such sacrifice by alleging that the movement was foreign funded and acts of terrorism, betrays the arrogance, ignorance and anti-people mind-set of the Govt.’
The SKM denounced the suppress the dissenting voices as well as create an anti-farmer narrative and expressed their solidarity ‘with Newsclick and all sections of the independent media and reiterates that it shall support all classes of citizens in ensuring that their rights are not trampled upon by this Govt.’ While there is no set date provided in the statement regarding the protests, it has been asserted that delegations of the SKM leaders with be submitting deputations with the Prime Minister and the other ministers of the union government to withdraw the allegations raised the farmers’ movement. In case of a failure to withdraw the allegation, the SKM will hold demonstrations and protests in every corner of the country as well as sit-in protests outside the offices of authorities.
The complete press statement is as follows:
Samyukt Kisan Morcha
Press Statement | 8th October, 2023
SKM TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE MASS PROTESTS AGAINST BJP-RSS LED MODI GOVT. FOR ITS RENEWED ATTACK ON FARMERS’ MOVEMENT THROUGH NEWSCLICK FIR
Delhi, 8th October, 2023: Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is shocked to learn about the scurrilous and malafide allegations made against the historic SKM-led Farmers’ Movement at Delhi, in the FIR lodged by Special Cell of the Delhi Police against media house Newsclick and several journalists. SKM categorically rejects all allegations made in the FIR against the Farmers’ Movement, the same being false and motivated, and unequivocally places on record that:
1) SKM rejects the patently false and mischievous allegations in the FIR that the Farmers’ Movement was to “disrupt supplies and services essential to the life of community in India, abet damage and destruction of property, cause huge loss to the Indian economy and create internal law and order problems, through illegal foreign funding”. Farmers, the annadatas of the nation, participated in a peaceful protest led by the SKM against the anti-farmer and pro-corporate laws and policies of the BJP Govt. No supply was disrupted by the farmers. No property was damaged by the farmers. No loss to the economy was caused by farmers. No law and order problem was created by the farmers. By violently stopping the farmers from exercising their democratic right of reaching the nation’s capital, through barbed wire fencing, water cannons, lathi charge and digging up roads, it is the Union Govt. that caused great inconvenience to the people of the nation and the farmers. Farmers had to sit in protest for 13 long months, under the blazing summer sun, torrential rains and freezing winter cold. It is the Union Govt. and BJP-RSS combine that created law and order problems by mowing down farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri under running vehicles, killing four farmers and one journalist. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and his son were behind this attack. Till now the Prime Minister has not removed the delinquent Minister and ensured legal action against the culprits. 735 farmers including Lakhimpur Kheri farmers had to sacrifice their lives to counter the repression by Modi Government. It is the Govt. that destroyed public property. It is the Govt. that conspired with crony capitalists to grab and capture food production and supply chains, destroying food security of the people and economy of the nation. Funds from China have been received by PM Modi in PM Care Fund and Gautam Adani in his business. The Farmers’ Movement succeeded, overcoming enormous hardship and with great sacrifice of the farmers. To belittle such sacrifice by alleging that the movement was foreign funded and acts of terrorism, betrays the arrogance, ignorance and anti-people mind-set of the Govt.
2) SKM strongly denounces attempt by the BJP led Union Govt. to underplay the importance of the immensely patriotic and historic Farmers’ Movement which was against this Govt’s attempt to hand over Indian farming to big corporates including foreign exploiters. It is pertinent to mention that the 3 black farm laws tried to establish legal control of corporates over cropping pattern through contract farming, over mandis, food processing and food distribution through the Mandi Act and modifications in the Essential Commodities Act and to do away with Govt. procurement, price support and PDS Ration security. That is why the laws were anti-people and unpatriotic while the Farmers’ Movement was a spontaneous expression of high degree of nationalism. This FIR is a crafty and nefarious plan to portray the Farmers’ Movement as funded by some extraneous sources, a ploy firmly rejected by the Farmers’ Movement during the course of the Movement, and before which the Modi led BKP-RSS Govt had been forced to surrender its fabricated claims. Indian farming not only provides for food security to 142 crore people, it provides subsistence to 90 crore rural folk, the importance of which was seen by all during the Corona pandemic.
3) Since Delhi Police is under the control of the Union Govt. and commanded by known anti-farmer leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, it is not surprising that false allegations have been made against the Farmers’ Movement, though the extent of the falsehood is astounding.
4) SKM understands that the BJP led Union Govt., still smarting from the humiliation of having to roll-back the 3 black farm laws in the face of the determined, democratic and peaceful agitation of farmers at the borders of Delhi from November 2020 to December 2021, will continuously try to take revenge against farmers by tainting the Farmers’ Movement and building an anti-farmer narrative.
While the SKM, through its constituent organisations, has already expressed solidarity with independent media houses like Newsclick and scores of journalists who have the courage to write and publish the truth about this anti-people BJP led Union Govt. and denounced the nefarious attempts of the Govt. to muzzle and choke their voices through false cases and arrests by illegal misuse of state machinery and power, the SKM once again expresses solidarity with Newsclick and all sections of the independent media and reiterates that it shall support all classes of citizens in ensuring that their rights are not trampled upon by this Govt.
SKM announces nationwide mass protests against this BJP led Union Govt for its renewed attack on the Farmers’ Movement through the Newsclick FIR. Every state capital, district head quarter, tehsil head quarter shall see mass protest gatherings demanding immediate withdrawal of the false and scurrilous allegations made against the Farmers’ Movement in the Newsclick FIR. Deputations shall be submitted by delegations of the SKM leaders to the President of India, Prime Minster, Union Home Minister, Union Agriculture Minister and Commissioner of Delhi Police to immediately withdraw all allegations against the Farmers’ Movement, failing which sit-in protests and demonstrations shall be held at the offices of all authorities.
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