Indian farmers’ protest continues until the farm laws are satisfactorily repealed

 *Samyukt Kisan Morcha clarifies that all constituent organizations of SKM will take stock of the situation and take decisions about the next steps in the farmers’ struggle on December 4th, as announced earlier. The date of this SKM meeting remains unchanged. This meeting will take place at the Singhu Border. In this meeting, there will be a discussion on the various points raised in the letter to the Prime Minister and future decisions will be taken. Meanwhile, Haryana organizations are meeting today to take stock of the emerging situation*.

*Samyukt Kisan Morcha clarifies once again that vague statements here and there as a response to the pending demands of protesting farmers are not an acceptable response or assurance from BJP governments, and SKM seeks solid assurances on, and concrete address of, the pending demands. Haryana Chief Minister has already indicated that he will act on the instructions of the Central Government when it comes to withdrawal of cases filed on around 48000 farmers in the state of Haryana, and the Modi Government cannot escape its responsibility of having to fulfill the remaining demands of farmers*.

*SKM condemns the fact that the Government of India led by Mr. Narendra Modi sought to mislead the nation yet again in the way the Objects and Reasons for the Farm Laws Repeal Bill were articulated. SKM also condemns the fact that the Government got the Repeal Bill enacted in the same undemocratic and unparliamentary way as the Bills that were passed in 2020. It is a matter of serious concern that when twelve Parliamentarians tried to raise a debate on the Bill and related matters including MSP legal guarantee, they were unceremoniously suspended for the whole winter session of the Parliament. This stifling of detailed debates in Parliament is outright unhealthy and undemocratic. The continuing lack of democratic functioning within the Parliament, in addition to false statements and immoral behavior of the Government, is objectionable and unacceptable, said Samyukt Kisan Morcha*.

*Samyukt Kisan Morcha notes that local communities are struggling against the illegal takeover of their livelihoods and livelihood resources like land and forests by Adani and company in Bastar of Chattisgarh. Their indefinite struggle has been underway for more than six months in Silger and other places of Bastar. At the very beginning of this historic farmers’ agitation, understanding that the farm laws were brought in to support and appease capitalist cronies, SKM had put out a call asking for boycott and resistance against corporate houses of Adani and Ambani. SKM extends its solidarity and salutes the spirit of the Adivasi farmers who are putting up this resistance against the corporate takeover of basic resources and sources of lives and livelihoods of the communities.*

*Electricity Amendments Bill 2021 being listed for Business in the ongoing Parliament Session is an outright reneging on the commitment made by the Government of India to the delegation of farm unions that were in formal talks with the government in December 2020. Similar is the case of penalizing farmers for biomass burning in relation to Delhi’s air pollution. SKM states that with such manifestations of unreliable behavior, it is completely obvious why the farm unions will not trust the Government of India on any verbal utterances.*

*It is highly ironic that an Allahabad High Court Bench will hear the bail application plea of Ashish Mishra Teni on December 10th, on United Nations Human Rights Day. The UP Government has been given 10 days’ time in which to respond to the bail application. In the Hearing in the lower court on such a bail application, the prosecution has made a case on how the mowing down of farmers was a pre-meditated conspiracy and murder and the bail application was rejected on November 15th, 2021 in Lakhimpur Kheri court. SKM’s demand for Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s arrest and sacking from the Union Government is still pending, with the Modi Government deciding to continue with its immoral and unethical behavior and with the Yogi Government deciding not to act on the sutradhaar of the massacre*.

Issued by :

Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’, Yudhvir Singh, Yogendra Yadav

Samyukta Kisan Morcha Email: samyuktkisanmorcha@gmail.com