Samyukt Kisan Morcha Calls for Nationwide Protests on 23rd December

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called for nationwide protests on 23rd December 2024, demanding immediate discussions with farmer organisations and the withdrawal of the pro-corporate ‘New National Policy Framework on Agri Marketing’.

The decision came after an urgent meeting of SKM’s National Coordination Committee on 14th December, attended by representatives from 21 states. The SKM expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Jagajit Singh Dallewal, a farmer leader who has been on a hunger strike for the last 19 days at the Punjab border. The SKM warned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, and Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini would be held responsible if any harm comes to Dallewal.

The SKM condemned the Modi government’s refusal to engage with farmers despite repeated appeals and even the Supreme Court’s recommendation for dialogue. Instead, peaceful demonstrations at Shambu and Khanuri borders in Punjab and Greater Noida have faced brutal repression, including the use of tear gas shells, water cannons, rubber bullets, and the arrest of hundreds of farmers.

The organisation accused the government of resurrecting the pro-corporate essence of the three repealed farm laws through the New Agri Marketing Policy announced on 25th November 2024. This policy, SKM said, promotes corporate control over agriculture by encouraging digitalisation, contract farming, and corporate procurement systems, while denying MSP guarantees and infringing on state rights.

The SKM said that the government’s broader agenda, including the dismantling of APMC markets, weakening of the FCI, and the systematic reduction of food and fertiliser subsidies by over Rs. 60,000 crore each in recent years. These moves, the SKM stated, threaten the livelihoods of farmers and undermine food security.

The organisation also highlighted how policies such as GST and ‘One Nation, One Election’ are designed to centralise power, eroding the federal structure of the Constitution. It accused the BJP-RSS combine of prioritising corporate interests over the needs of India’s working people.

Emphasising the need for farmer-worker unity, the SKM called on opposition parties to mobilise on issues such as MSP guarantees, loan waivers, unemployment, price rise, and state autonomy. It reiterated its commitment to resisting corporate policies and defending democratic rights.

The SKM has given a call for district-level protests across India on 23rd December 2024. Copies of the New Agri Marketing Policy will be burned as a mark of resistance. In Punjab, protests will be held at a central location, while SKM leaders will meet the Governors of Punjab and Haryana to demand their intervention in ensuring discussions with the Union Government.

The SKM concluded with a resolute message: farmers, inspired by their historic struggles against colonial rule, will not allow corporate forces to dominate Indian agriculture. The fight for farmers’ rights, MSP, and federalism will continue until victory is achieved.