16th January 2024, Jalandhar
The All India Convention of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of more than 500 farmers’ outfits, held at Baba Jawala Singh Auditorium, Jalandhar (Punjab) on 16th January 2024, declared to intensify struggles to end Corporate loot on farmers and observe Grameen Bandh (rural strike) and massive demonstrations all over India on 16th February 2024. The farmers’ body will also hold a meeting with central trade unions on Wednesday to consider the possibility of an industrial strike too on February 16.
The convention appealed to the farmers, workers and the people at large to make the Tractor/Vehicle Parade on 26 January 2024 (the Republic Day) successful and take pledge to End Corporate Loot and Save the Democratic-Secular-Federal-Socialist principles enshrined in the Constitution of India.
SKM demanded an alternative policy of agriculture and agro-based industrial development, based on public investment, producer cooperatives and other people centric models so that farmers get remunerative price, workers get wages for dignified life and social security including pension for all sections of people is achieved.
Declaration on Agrarian Crisis and Alternative Policy for Agricultural and Agri-based Industrial Development
The All India Farmers Convention called upon the farmers of India to punish the pro-corporate and anti-farmer BJP Government at the Centre which has formulated and implemented policies to deliberately worsen the economic condition of farmers to aid and abet grabbing of land of farmers and putting them out of farming by corporates who can then take control of crop production and food supply chain and monopolise it for profiteering and further oppressing common people.
The All India Farmers Convention adopted the declaration to appeal farmers across India to punish the pro-corporate, anti-farmer BJP Government at the Centre which has formulated and implemented policies to deliberately worsen the economic condition of farmers to aid and abet grabbing of land of farmers and putting them out of farming by corporates who can then take control of crop production and food supply chain and monopolise it for profiteering and further oppressing common people.
The convention resolved that the struggle will continue till the Union Government meets the following demands:
- MSP@C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement,
- Dismissal of Union Home Minister Ajay Mishra Teni and registration of case on him for massacre of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri,
- Announce comprehensive loan waiver to small and middle farm households for freedom from indebtedness,
- Comprehensive Crop Insurance in Public Sector, Minimum Wage of Rs 26,000/- per month for workers, Repeal the 4 Labour Codes,
- Guaranteed employment as Fundamental Right,
- No privatisation of PSUs including Railway, Defence, Electricity,
- No contractualization of Jobs,
- Scrapping Fixed Term Employment,
- Strengthen MGNREGS with 200 Days work per person per year and Rs. 600/- as Daily Wage,
- Restore Old Pension Scheme,
- Pension and social security to all in the formal and informal economy,
- Implement the LARR Act 2013 (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013) among others.
The convention adopted resolutions on Kisan Unity and Kisan-Worker Unity against Corporate-Communal Nexus, and condemned the vindictive attack on SKM Leaders.
The Convention also adopted a special resolution to construct Kisan Martyr Memorial – Kisan Shaheed Smarak at Delhi Border.
Appeals State Governments of Delhi and Haryana for Adequate Land
The convention appealed to the state governments of Delhi and Haryana to provide adequate land to build a Kisan Martyrs Memorial at Delhi Border as a respect to the 736 martyrs who had lost their life in their struggle to repeal the three anti-farmer, anti-national Farm Acts and for remunerative price, loan waiver and against privatization of power sector.
SKM asked the farmers across India to write a letter to the Chief Ministers of Delhi and Haryana in support of the demand of land for Kisan Martyrs Memorial.
The historic farmers’ struggle was the largest and longest uprising of the framers, farm workers supported by the workers and people across India since Independence in 1947. This struggle had been conducted from 26th November 2020 to 11th December 2021 at the Delhi border spots of Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur, Palwal, Dhasa, Sunheda and Shahjahanpur at Rajasthan-Haryana border.
The farmers’ struggle at Delhi borders had been instrumental in stopping the three Black laws which promoted Corporate control over agriculture done by farmers, food storage, food markets and food security of the country.
This massive movement of resistance helped to bring confidence among the public in democracy and people’s movement against excessive state power and reminded them of the decades-long historical struggle for independence against colonial and feudal social order that achieved the creation of the Indian Union.
The resolution at the convention stated:
The life sacrifice of those kisan fighters is valuable for the existence and flourishing of the principles of democracy, secularism, federalism and socialism enshrined in the Constitution of India hence, the responsibility of the people of India to establish a suitable memorial in memory of those kisan martyrs. It will be a source of inspiration for the generations to come, show them the path of struggle against any sort of injustice and exploitation of the people.