Singhu Border, 14 October (Sangrami Lehar Bureao)- Samyukt Kisan Morcha condemns the fact that nearly 3 weeks after MoS Ajay Mishra Teni gave open threats, promoted hatred and disharmony and even referred to his dubious unsavoury criminal antecedents, he is still a Minister in the Indian Government’s Council of Ministers and is roaming free. SKM reiterates its strong demand once again that he be dismissed from the Government and arrested immediately. Otherwise, it is clear that justice in Lakhimpur Kheri Farmers Massacre will certainly be compromised. Further, SKM also reminds the Uttar Pradesh government that payment of compensation to the persons injured in Lakhimpur Kheri is pending. Samyukt Kisan Morcha stated that the Rail Roko call given by SKM will be implemented all over India on October 18th, to put pressure on the Modi Government to take action against Ajay Mishra Teni, instead of defending him and his son.
Shaheed Kalash Yatras have begun to different places from Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, following the antim ardaas day before yesterday in Tikunia. Meanwhile, compensation is yet to be paid to the injured in the brutal mowing down of farmers on October 3rd 2021.
Yesterday, in Gohana in Sonipat district of Haryana, a large and peaceful gathering of farmers protested against the visit of the Haryana Chief Minister Mr Manohar Lal Khattar to take part in an event there. Farmers gathered right outside the stadium within which the helipad for the CM was built, and as evening progressed, their numbers started swelling. Owing to the large protest, the CM cancelled his trip. The protesting farmers had also issued an early warning to the CM against participating in the event, and that they would organise a peaceful black flag protest. Farmers did not disperse from their protest even after the CM’s program cancellation plan was announced, and left only after the whole event related to Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti got over completely without the CM’s participation. This is the second time in one week that the Haryana CM has had to cancel his program (including an earlier one at Kaithal), due to farmers’ protests.
In another state, Uttarakhand, the BJP Chief Minister there Mr Pushkar Singh Dhami had to face a large protest from local farmers in his native district of Udham Singh Nagar. Mr Dhami reached Kiccha in Udham Singh Nagar to take part in birthday celebration of BJP MLA Rajesh Shukla, and for using the occasion to inaugurate several development schemes. Protesting farmers initially gathered at the mandi but later reached the helipad that was being used by the CM. Farmer leaders here declared that they will show their opposition and resistance with black flag protests against BJP leaders here and elsewhere, and will intensify such protests in the coming days.
Elsewhere, in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh, reports indicate that farmers protested at the Circuit House after getting information about BJP’s National Vice President Kailash Meghwal and others. Farmers are also on an indefinite protest outside the Collectorate, seeking the suspension of the police official Naresh Gehara who rained his lathi brutally on an old farmer waiting 15 feet away from the Collectorate gate on 4th October. They are also protesting for paddy procurement to be started by the government agencies, after repeated assurances, and contradictory statements did not actually result in the procurement starting.
Today, in Hisar, farmers gathered outside GJ University to protest with black flags against Haryana BJP President Om Prakash Dhankar’s visit there for an event.
Tomorrow, a large Kisan Mahapanchayat is being organised in Zira, in Ferozepur district of Punjab. Many SKM leaders are expected to participate in this gathering.
The Centre yesterday brought down to negligible levels the basic customs duty on edible oils, in the name of controlling edible oil prices. The basic customs duty on crude varieties of palm, soybean and sunflower oils were brought down to very low levels in addition to slashing of the agriculture cess (which was at 20%) imposed on them till March 2022. The Government of India did this after imposing stock limits on oilseeds and edible oils. This will have an adverse impact on farmers, whose fresh harvests are coming into the markets at the end of Kharif season of 2021. These duty cuts will further be in force till March 31st 2022, adversely impacting farmers’ domestic prices. SKM criticises this anti-farmer move by the Union Government and demands once again that remunerative MSP should be made into a legally-guaranteed for all agricultural products and farmers, to protect farmers’ interests.
In Chhattisgarh, hundreds of adivasi farmers, men and women, have reached the state capital Raipur after walking for more than 300 kms in the past 10 days, in a “Hasdeo Bachao Yatra”. The Hasdeo Bachao Yatra is for protection of forests, which are an integral part of the ethos and livelihoods of adivasis, from exploitation by big mining corporations that too by violating various constitutional and legal provisions. For adivasi farmers, farming is a continuum between forests and settled agriculture and saving the rich forests of Hasdeo is about saving the livelihoods of thousands of adivasi farmers. The protesting farmers are demanding implementation of PESA and FRA in their letter and spirit. The farmers are seeking a meeting and assurance from the Chief Minister of the state.