SKM alleges breach of assurance by Centre, to hold marches on Nov 26

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold marches to Raj Bhavan on November 26, alleging a breach of assurance by the Centre on farmers' pending demands.

The group will also celebrate November 19 as ‘Fateh Diwas’ to commemorate the repeal of the laws. It has called a meeting on December 8, to decide the future course of action.

The SKM agitation comes a month before the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), which is the farmers wing of Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of ruling BJP is planning to hold a massive two-day long agitation in capital Delhi demanding remunerative price for farmers and also other host of other issues.

“The hasty approval of GM mustard and the threat that it will pose to food security of the country is among the issues that we will protest against,” Badri Narayan Chaudhury, National President of BKS, told Business Standard.

The SKM meanwhile in a press statement condemned the Modi government for "betraying the farmers" by not implementing the written assurances made on December 9 last year on legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), and withdrawal of the Electricity Bill among others, though almost one year has now passed.

"The meeting resolved to advise all constituent organizations to be prepared to further intensify the struggle across the country," CPI (M) leader and SKM member Hannan Mollah said.

The SKM leaders also condemned the BJP-led Modi government's "hurried" attempt to clear GM-Mustard seeds.

The SKM also expressed disappointment at the Union government and accused the Centre of completely reneging on the written promises made to the farmers when the protest was lifted on December 9.

The farmers' body claimed that neither the committee on MSP had been formed nor the "false" cases registered against farmers during the agitation were withdrawn.

It also accused the government of not being ready to consider the biggest demand of the farmers -- a legal guarantee on MSP.
Farmer unions' body SKM has rejected the government's committee on MSP, saying "so-called farmer leaders" who supported the now-repealed farm laws are its members and do not talk about ensuring the legal rights of farmers.