Farmers to Hold National Convention on 26 August to Mark Nine months of Protest Against Farm Laws

According to a statement from Samyukt Kisan Morcha, farmers protesting against the center’s three controversial agricultural laws will organize a national gathering on August 26 to commemorate the completion of their nine-months of their stir.

"Thousands of farmers have decided to hold a national convention on August 26th to commemorate the end of a historic peaceful demonstration that lasted for nine months”, said SMK. 

The umbrella body of over 40 farm unions stated that this all-India convention will see the participation of representatives of hundreds of farmer organizations that have been part of ongoing protests at the local, regional, and national levels. 

Since November last year, thousands of farmers across the country, especially from Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping along the Delhi border, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur. They said that the three laws that farmers demanded to be repealed would abolish the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big companies. 

More than 10 rounds of negotiations with the government drafting legislation due to major agricultural reforms have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.  SKM stated that ahead of the national convention on August 26, farmers will also celebrate the completion of Narmada Bachao Andolan, which turned 36. To this end, a "Narmada Kisan Mazdoor Jan Sansad" is being organized in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh on August 17th. 

The body stated that it is expected that several leaders of SKM will participate in the event. There will be thousands of farmers from different locations in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, as well as villagers from many villages of Narmada Valley.  

It added that to increase their agitation against the three disputed laws, farmers from southern India have been arriving to protest sites on the Delhi border. More and more farmers from remote areas are joining the protest sites. Hundreds of farmers from Tamil Nadu arrived at Singhu border yesterday. SKM said a team of farmers from Karnataka delivered a speech at a rally on the border in Ghazipur today.