SKM to Observe Rural Bandh on Feb 16, Demand Alternative Policy on Agriculture

New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a collective of farmers unions that spearheaded the historic struggle against three farm laws at the borders of the national capital, on Tuesday announced that its constituent organisations would observe a nationwide ‘Grameen Bandh’ (rural strike) on February 16.

The bandh is being called to “punish the pro-corporate, anti-farmer BJP Government at the Centre which has formulated and implemented policies to deliberately worsen the economic condition of farmers to aid and abet grabbing of land of farmers and putting them out of farming by corporates who can then take control of crop production and food supply chain and monopolise it for profiteering and further oppressing common people,” SKM said in a statement.

Adopting resolutions for alternative policy on agriculture and agro-based industrial development at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall in Jalandhar, the morcha said “We are seeing renewed assault on the livelihood of farmers and agriculture sector has literally been handed over to corporate sector for profiteering.”

Talking to NewsClick over the phone, Krishna Prasad, finance secretary, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), said farmers unions were unanimous that the current trajectory of agricultural development was “deeply hurting” farmers.

Seeds, fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides markets has already been captured by the big monopolies like Bayer. “In this situation, it is essential that cooperatives are formed and supported by governments to give farmers their due and prosperity,” he said.

In an important development, the Balbir Singh Rajewal led faction, Samyukta Samaj Morcha, reunited with SKM. SSM leaders had parted ways with SKM on the question of fighting elections after the culmination of protests at the borders of Delhi.

Along with BKU (Rajewal), four other kisan organisations also reunited with SKM on Tuesday. BKU (Ugrahan) is working in coordination with SKM Punjab. As a result, SKM in Punjab has now been strengthened as a platform of 32 organisations now.

The morcha leaders also appealed to farmers to write to Chief Minsters of Delhi and Haryana to give land to SKM to build a memorial in the memory of 735 martyred farmers.

In a statement, the morcha said, “This massive movement of resistance helped to bring confidence among the public in democracy and people’s movement against excessive state power and reminded the decades long historical struggle for independence against colonial and feudal social order that achieved the creation of Indian Union.”

It added, “The life sacrifice of those kisan fighters is valuable for the existence and flourishing of the principles of democracy, secularism, federalism and socialism enshrined in the Constitution of India hence, the responsibility of the people of India to establish a suitable memorial in memory of those kisan martyrs.  It will be a source of inspiration for the generations to come, show them the path of struggle against any sort of injustice and exploitation of the people.”