SKM Warns Of Countrywide Farmers Protests Bigger Than 2020 Agitation If Demands Not Fulfilled
The SKM has threatened nationwide protests if its demands, including the scrapping of NPFAM, are not met. The farmers' body plans to hold agitations larger than the 2020-21 protests at Delhi borders
New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday said it will hold countrywide agitations if its demands, which include the scrapping of NPFAM, are not met.
The farmers collective warned the agitation will be larger than the 2020-21 protests at Delhi borders.
The SKM said it decided to intensify the farmers struggle in a meeting of its national coordination committee held here on Saturday.
The farmers part of the collective are demanding withdrawal of the National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing (NPFAM), a legal guarantee on minimum support price, which is based on the C2 plus 50 per cent formula given by the Swaminathan committee, and debt waiver.
"Farmer leaders from several states opined in the SKM General Body meeting in Delhi on 24th January that the Modi Government, being under the tight grip of the corporate monopolies, does not seem to respect farmers' demands and is not ready to drop the NPFAM or other pro-corporate reforms.
"In order to achieve all the pending demands, a massive, determined and countrywide struggle larger than the historic farmers' struggle at the Delhi Borders of 2020-21 in participation, intensity and pan-India form have to be planned," SKM said in a statement.
A six-member committee of the SKM will strive to coordinate actions with the SKM(NP)-KMM "provided there is issue-based unity on the demands, especially on NPFAM," it said.
A coordination meeting with these platforms will be held on February 12 in Chandigarh.
"If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is adamant not to withdraw the pro-corporate agenda of NPFAM within the next three months, then farmers will intensify the struggle by holding an All India Grameen Hartal.
"SKM appeals to all anti-corporate sections of the people to come forward to support the farmers' struggle," the umbrella body of farmers' organisations, which was at the helm of the 2020-21 protests, said.
SKM also called upon the farmers to join massively in the tractor and motorcycle parade across districts on the 76th Republic Day on Sunday.
The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions (CTU) has extended support to the farmers' parades.
The SKM also announced mass deputation at the residences/offices of all the Members of the Parliament to appeal to them to support the farmers by pursuing their demands with the prime minister.
"All the State Coordination Committees of SKM will meet immediately and plan the next phase of the struggle that aimed at initiating 'Pakka Morcha' (Continuous Sit-in Protests) at State Centre, District and Sub Division level from 5th March 2025 onwards," SKM said.
State delegations will meet the chief ministers and persuade them to adopt a resolution to reject the NPFAM in their Assembly, it said.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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