SKM levels 'betrayal' charge on Centre over farm laws, threatens to resume agitation

Accusing the central government of "reneging" on promises made to farmers on agitation against three contentious bill last year, farmer bodies on Monday carried out demonstrations, marches, and effigy burning in a number of states and threatened to "resume the agitation", observing a "betrayal day (vishwasghaat divas)", an event that coincided with the beginning of crucial Budget Session of Parliament ahead of polls in five states.

In a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind that was submitted to the District Collectors, SDMs and ADMs in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tripura, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said it "warns the BJP government against challenging the farmers' patience, and declares that if the promises are not fulfilled at the earliest, the farmers would be left with no option but to resume the agitation".

Read | Kovind highlights Modi govt's initiatives for farmers

The SKM said that as the Head of the State, it is the President’s constitutional obligation to protect the interests of the farmers, the largest section of the country. In what could be a trouble for the ruling BJP in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the SKM has decided to continue with its "Mission Uttar Pradesh and campaign across the state to punish and defeat BJP". Farmer bodies will announce the new phase of the Mission with a press conference on February 3.

"This is betrayal of farmers. There has been no withdrawal of cases lodged against farmers, no compensation for martyred farmers, no committee on MSP, no conversation on power...GoI should answer on these," tweeted Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, exhorting the farmers of the country to "be ready for a long-drawn struggle."

In Western UP, which has been one of the centres of the year-long farm agitation that was called off in December end last year after the government to withdraw the three contentious farm laws and fulfill other key demands of the farmers, a revival of farmer protest is the last thing that the ruling party in the state can afford.

Samajwadi Party, which is emerging as the main Opposition to the BJP in UP has already allied with the Jat party RLD, a combination that drastically altered the political outcome in the region. A campaign by farmer bodies will further exacerbate the problems for the party as such.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have kept their focus on the region. After Shah held a meeting with Jat leaders and reached out to RLD days back after starting a door to door campaign from Kairna, Modi on Monday, addressed voters in Shamli, Muzaffarnagar,Baghpat, Saharanpur and Gautambudh Nagar through 'Jan Chaupal'.

Warning the government against committing this "fraud against the farmers", the memorandum reminded "due to the tireless efforts of the farmers, despite the lockdown and the economic slowdown, the agricultural production of the country has increased continuously. Playing tricks with farmers can be disastrous for the whole country. Of the written assurances made by the Government of India in the letter to Samyukta Kisan Morcha on December 9, 2021, not one of the promises has been fulfilled."

*Government of India continues with its falsehoods related to the current MSP (announcement) regime, and the cost concept being used for announcing such MSPs with the Economic Survey report 2021-22. The cost concept being used continues to be A2+Family Labour, ignoring C2 cost of production, denying farmers their true entitlement,"the statement said.

It dubbed a false claim that the crop diversification has happened with the "empty promises of meagre MSPs" being declared.

"However, farmers do know that such diversification is indeed possible if MSP is legally guaranteed as an entitlement for all crops including oilseeds, millets and pulses. That is one of the key reasons that SKM also demands a legally guaranteed MSP," the memoranda issued jointly by farmer leaders Darshan Pal, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma 'Kakkaji', Yudhvir Singh and Yogendra Yadav, said.

Watch latest videos by DH here: