<p>The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday called for nationwide tractor marches on January 26, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi engage in discussions with farmers over their longstanding demands. The call comes amid growing concerns about the health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast for 48 days.</p>
<p>Dallewal, the convener of SKM (Non-Political), has been fasting at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26, 2024. His hunger strike is in protest against various farmer-related issues, including the demand for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.</p>
<p>In a statement, SKM announced plans to hold a meeting on Monday with SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) to strategise a joint struggle over key demands, including the MSP and the abolition of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM), news agency PTI reported. The farmers’ body urged farmers to organise tractor, vehicle, and motorcycle parades on January 26, the 76th Republic Day, at the district and sub-division levels across the country.</p>
<p>The demands, as outlined by SKM, include immediate discussions with the Prime Minister on the ongoing struggle, the urgent withdrawal of the ‘anti-farmer’ NPFAM, and the enactment of a law guaranteeing MSP at C2+50 per cent with legally mandated procurement. Other demands also include a comprehensive loan waiver scheme for farmers and farm workers, a halt to the privatisation of electricity, an end to the installation of smart meters, provision of free electricity up to 300 units, and the implementation of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act 2013.</p>
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<h3><strong>SKM Slams PM Modi For Refusal To Engage In Talks: ‘Authoritarian, Insensitive Attitude'</strong></h3>
<p>SKM has also called on its State Coordination Committees (SCCs) to protest against NPFAM by burning its copies. The body condemned what it described as the Prime Minister’s “authoritarian, insensitive attitude” in refusing to engage in talks with the Kisan organisations and failing to intervene to save Dallewal’s life. </p>
<p>”SKM strongly condemned the authoritarian, insensitive attitude of the Prime Minister for not willing to discuss with the Kisan organisations and to protect the life of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal,” the organisation stated, as quoted by PTI.</p>
<p>The SKM further criticised the inability of the Supreme Court and the President of India to intervene in the matter, despite Dallewal’s fast-unto-death having crossed 46 days. They accused Prime Minister Modi of bowing to corporate interests, which they claim are pushing for reforms that harm the agricultural sector, workers, and youth employment. </p>
<p>”This is mainly due to the adamant stand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is surrendering to the rapacious corporate forces that are hell-bent on imposing their dominance on agriculture, industry, and services by denying minimum support price to farmers, minimum wage to workers, and destroying productive employment for the youth,” they stated, as per PTI. </p>
<p>The body stressed that these policies, such as the NPFAM, undermine the federal structure of the Indian Union, one of the core principles of the Indian Constitution. “The people’s livelihood is at stake due to the corporate onslaught through a series of pro-corporate reforms, the latest being the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, which challenges the federal structure of the Indian Union, one of the basic principles of the Indian Constitution,” the SKM alleged.</p>
<p>SKM has scheduled a coordination meeting with SKM (Non-Political) and KMM on January 13 at Patran, near Khanauri. A six-member committee from SKM visited the Khanauri protest site on Friday and invited SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha for discussions to unite farmer bodies for a common cause. The meeting, initially planned for January 15 in Patiala, was postponed due to concerns over Dallewal’s health. </p>
<p>This latest call for action by the SKM follows a long-running series of protests led by the farmers’ organisations, which previously spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against the now-repealed farm laws. </p>
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