New Delhi, July 4, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
After a meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha today at Singhu Border, leaders of the farmers’ movement announced several decisions to intensify their struggle in the coming days. Important amongst these is the upcoming Parliament Session from July 19th 2021.
On the 17th of the month, SKM will send a warning letter to all opposition parties in the country, to ensure that the session is used to support the farmers’ struggle, and that farmers’ demands are met by the government. Further, from the 22nd of July, five members per organisation and at least two hundred protestors per day will protest every day outside the Parliament until the monsoon session ends.
It was also announced by the Punjab unions that given that the situation has improved slightly with regard to the supply of electricity in the state, the earlier-announced program of gherao of ‘Moti Mahal’ of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will be postponed for now. In the previous meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, it has already been decided that there will be country-wide protests between 10am and 12noon on 8th July 2021, against rising costs of essential commodities like diesel and cooking gas.
Union Ministers Mr Narendra Singh Tomar and Mr Piyush Goyal were part of eleven rounds of formal talks with Samyukt Kisan Morcha representatives in the months of December 2020 and January 2021. The Ministers have been stating that the government is ready for talks, provided that the farmers are ready to discuss provisions that they have problems with.
The Ministers are also stating that the government will not repeal the 3 black central laws. Farmers have already clearly stated why amendments will not work. The government’s intentions are not trust-worthy – farmers know that keeping the laws alive will lead to abuse of executive power towards the same objective of supporting corporates in various ways, at the expense of farmers.
Further, when the very objective of a legislation has gone wrong and is against farmers, it is obvious that a majority of clauses inside the statute will be to meet those wrong objectives; mere tinkering here and there will not work. Farmers have also pointed out that these laws have been brought in unconstitutionally, and undemocratically.
The Central Government has ventured into areas where it has no constitutional authority. To worsen matters, it also followed undemocratic procedures to thrust the laws on the nation’s farmers. All of this is unacceptable, and therefore, farmers are firm on their repeal demand.
On the other hand, the government has so far not given a single reason as to why these laws cannot and should not be repealed. We can only conclude that an elected government in the world’s largest democracy is playing ego-games with the largest section of its citizens – farmers. And is preferring to choose the interests of crony capitalists over the annadaatas of the country.
Local support has been strong and consistent for the farmers’ movement at all borders. There is a large tractor convoy being planned from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. More farmers are reaching the protest sites, just as more material supplies are being donated by local communities.
From Jind, a large quantity of wheat has been received from villagers. It is not just farmers who are joining, but other workers associated with trade unions, students, lawyers and others. In Punjab, solidarity protests being organised in the evenings by youth groups in various urban centres at traffic intersections has become a regular sight in various towns and cities.
The protests are powered by the peaceful resolve of extra-ordinary citizens. At Ghazipur Border, Shri Swaran Singh from Madanpur village of Bulandshahr district has been around for seven months now, protesting peacefully and determinedly. He is all of 101 years of age! We salute his spirit to protect India’s farming for the next generations.
Today, at Ghazipur Border, in respectful memory of Late Shri Milkha Singh, a Kisan Mazdoor Marathon Run was organised.
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