The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Wednesday (June 12) staged a protest against the appointment of Shivraj Singh Chouhan as Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the new Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, while holding him responsible for the killing of six farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur in June 2017. In a statement on Wednesday, the SKM alleged that the farmers were “murdered” while taking part in the struggle for MSP at the C2 plus 50 per cent formula given by the Swaminathan Commission, comprehensive loan waiver and against the growing trend of farmers’ suicide.
The farmers outfit also announced that a general body meeting will be held in Delhi on July 10 which will be attended by the leaders of the constituent farmer organisations from all over India.
"The decision symbolises arrogance and insensitivity exhibited by the former regimes of 2014 and 2019 with an absolute majority to the BJP. It has aroused wrath among the farmers and the rural people across the country," the SKM said.
Six farmers killed in June 2017 in Madhya Pradesh
Six farmers were killed in June 2017 in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur after a group of farmers was fired at by the policemen and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans.
The SKM said that the NDA government did not take any decision to deal with the acute agrarian crisis and the farmers’ suicide, besides demands on MSP in the first Cabinet meeting of the new government.
"The hype being created in the name of releasing Rs 20,000 crore of arrear in the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, which is an existing scheme with grossly inadequate sum of average Rs 500 per month per farmers’ household will not satisfy farmers since it camouflage the unwillingness of the state to provide remunerative MSP and the policies of corporate takeover of agricultural sector," the SKM said.
"There is no illusion among the farmers of a change in the corporate policies on agriculture. Farmers have to prepare for another stint of vibrant and massive struggles by joining hands with workers, small traders and petty producers and extending across India," they said, adding the SKM is determined to build greater unity of the people and put pressure on the NDA government to replace its "corporate driven policies" with farmer and worker centric policies for the development of people.
(With PTI inputs)
