On the anniversary of the Mandsaur massacre of farmers by the police on 6 June the All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) observed an MSP Demand Day. Six peacefully protesting farmers were killed in Mandsaur on 6 June 2017 for demanding debt relief through MSP of 1.5 times crop input costs according to Swaminathan Commission recommendations, in the BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh. All India Kisan Mahasabha organised protests at district, block and local levels. A charter of demands was also sent to the Prime Minister of India through these protests.
The protests were held to condemn Modi government’s betrayal of the agreement for constituting a committee for the implementation of MSP on all crops and other demands arrived at with SKM, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, while lifting off farmers’ agitation from Delhi’s borders. The Modi government has not yet taken any step to constitute the committee for the MSP neither has it withdrawn false criminal cases imposed on thousands of farmers during the thirteen months long farmers agitation.
The memorandum submitted comprised the following additional demands besides the main demand of immediately enacting through Parliament an MSP Guarantee Act for all crops produced by farmers.
- Enactment of MSP Guarantee Act
- Implement all promises made in writing to farmers on 9 November 2021.
- Guaranteed availability of rations to all the needy through expansion of PDS system.
- Pass a law giving farmer status and ID cards to all sharecroppers in the country.
- Put an immediate end to handing over of adivasis' and forest dwellers' lands and forests to corporate companies.
- End privatization of electricity department, stop installation of smart electricity meters in villages.
- End looting of farmers by private insurance companies in the name of crop insurance.
- End manufacture of ethanol from foodgrains and use of cattle fodder as fuel.
- Fix minimum price of forest products such as mahua and tendu leaves.
- Fish farming, poultry farming, horticulture, nursery farming and other non-traditional farmers should also get government grants and compensation.
- Pay arrears of sugarcane farmers without delay and give government protection to jute and 'patsan' farmers.
In Uttarakhand and some other states farmers also raise a demand to enact a law to guarantee government purchase of cattle at fixed prices for various categories (milch cows, newly calved cows, bulls, calves etc) in order to resolve stray cattle menace. In Lalkuan (Uttarakhand) AIKM activists held a protest at Tahsil HQ after which a 12-point memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister was submitted to the Lalkuan Tahsildar. Addressing the dharna, AIKM State President Anand Singh Negi said that the Modi government repealed farm laws only after 13 months of sustained protests and death of 700 farmers. The government has now forgotten its promise of MSP guarantee and loan waivers. He also said that in the name of the anti-cow slaughter laws, cattle rearing has suffered as a means of livelihood and stray cattle have become a menace for farmers' crops. The stray cattle menace can be resolved only if the government guarantees to buy cattle at a fixed price. He said this is a conspiracy by the government to hand over the cattle rearing business to corporate houses.
Protests were held in many districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, AP, Telangana and other states.
In Rayagada and Gajapati districts of Odisha thousands of Adivasi farmers came under the banner of All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) and Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha to highlight specific demands of tribal population in these districts.
In Sonipat of Haryana farmers organised a dharna.
In Jhunjhunu of Rajasthan farmers also reiterated their old demand for developing irrigation infrastructure by building a canal linked with the Yamuna river. The AIKM has called for a farmers’ convention in month of July on the issue of Yamuna canal. The dharna was addressed by AIKM national vice president Phool Chand Dhewa.
In Jalaun of Uttar Pradesh AIKM activists held a protest through which the memorandum was sent.
In Punjab AIKM observed these protests on 4 June where the demand of release of prisoners who have completed their years of conviction was also raised. It is reported that many such prisoners are illegally held inside jails who have completed their tenure. The AIKM also raised the demand of ending persecution and immediate release of all political prisoners, intellectuals, writers, youth and student activists illegally detained by Modi government in jails.
Farmers under the banner of AIKM in Mansa, Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Barnala, Amritsar and many other districts held demonstrations and sent memoranda to the prime minister.
