On Sunday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting that talks with the government on their six demands, which include a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all farmers, resume immediately.
Contents of Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s open letter to the PM
Farmers’ unions also asked for the dismissal of proceedings against farmers and the construction of a memorial for those who died in the movement against the three problematic Central agricultural legislation.
Despite Prime Minister’s surprising declaration on Friday that the three agri-laws would be repealed, farmer leaders have stated that they will not budge until the laws are formally repealed in Parliament.
They also stated that the campaign for a statutory MSP guarantee and the repeal of the Electricity Amendment Bill will continue.
“After 11 rounds of talks, you chose the path of unilateral declaration rather than a bilateral solution”, the SKM wrote in the letter, congratulating PM Modi for his decision.
“MSP based on the comprehensive cost of production should be made a legal entitlement of all farmers for all agricultural produce so that every farmer of the country can be guaranteed the MSP announced by the government for their entire crop. Withdraw the draft ‘Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021’,” the letter read, as quoted by the NDTV.
Regarding the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021,’ it also requested that criminal penalties against farmers be removed.
The SKM demanded that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra, whose son is a suspect in the Lakhimpur Kheri riots, be sacked and arrested.
The letter to the Prime Minister stated, “Thousands of farmers have been implicated in hundreds of cases during this movement (June 2020 till date) in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and several other states. These cases should be withdrawn immediately.”
“Approximately 700 farmers have died as a result of this campaign. Their families should be compensated and given rehabilitation assistance. At the Singhu Border, land should be set aside for the construction of a memorial for the farmers who have died “it said.
The SKM has warned that the protests will continue unless the government resumes talks with them on the six points raised in the letter.
