Farmers to Hold Nationwide Protest March Against Centre on November 26

SKM, a body of farmers' unions that led the protest against the new farm bills, which were later repealed by the Government, has called a meeting on 8 December to decide the future course of the movement.

The farmers' body asserted that neither the Minimum Support Price Committee nor the "false" lawsuits against farmers that were filed during the agitation had been dropped.

When the demonstration was put to an end on December 9, the SKM also expressed dissatisfaction with the Union government and said that the Centre had entirely broken the written pledges it had made to the farmers.

At a press conference, SKM leader Darshan Pal stated, "Marches to offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of all political parties would be organized from 1 to 11 December."

Additionally, it charged that the government was not prepared to take into account the farmers' top demand, a statutory guarantee of MSP.

The gathering decided to advise all participating organizations to be ready to step up the fight nationwide. The farmers' protest has entered its next phase with the "March to Raj Bhawans."

It urged farmers all around the nation to participate in ongoing, determined national battles until the government complies with all demands, including "Karz Mukti - Poora Daam" (Freedom from Indebtedness and Full Remunerative Price).

A brief look at farmers' demands

Since the implementation of neo-liberal policies that exacerbated the agrarian crisis and peasant suicides, farmers have been campaigning for two fundamental demands: legally guaranteed MSP for all crops and freedom from debt.

According to the farmer unions, in India, more than 4 lakh farmers have committed suicide since 1995, and 68% of peasant households are in debt or another financial difficulty.

These demands, together with those for the repeal of three agricultural laws that favoured corporations and the Electricity Bill 2020, sparked a year-long historic farmers' agitation at the Delhi borders beginning on November 26, 2020, which received active support from various groups of Indian workers.

Repeal of farm laws

The three contentious farm laws passed in September 2020 stand overturned by the Union government; Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in a televised "message to the country" in November last year. Before these rules were even passed, farmers groups across the country were denouncing them, claiming that the laws will affect farmers while helping major corporations.