By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: Further intensifying farmers’ agitation, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) an umbrella body of peasants and workers groups on Tuesday announced a massive nationwide protests from October2, Gandhi Jayanti which will culminate in “Delhi Chalo” on 26-27th November. AIKSCC also called upon the Central Government to heed to the farmers demands and desist from promulgating the three farm laws passed by the parliament in the just truncated monsoon session of Parliament.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India here, AIKSCC leaders, Hanan Mollah, Prof Yogendra Yadav and others, said it is unfortunate that despite the nationwide protests on September 25th, President Ramnath Kovind gave assent to the three farm bills as he didn’t pay any heed to the irregularities brought by the members of parliament and the partisan manner in which the Deputy chairman conducted the business in Rajya Sabha.
“President should have used his powers to ask the government to reconsider but he chose to stand with the government,” they said
While congratulating farmers, farm workers and the ordinary people of India for their historic Bharat Bandh and Resistance Programs on 25th September, they said it is for the first time in history, farmers across the country protested within five days of a central legislation being passed.
This flash protest which gives a glimpse of farmers’ anger against this assault on their life and livelihood was observed across 20 states. AIKSCC associates observed this protest by way of “Chakka Jam”, “Dharna” or burning of legislation etc. in over ten thousand places involving about fifteen million farmers.
They pointed out that the Modi government has been trying to spin and peddle a false narrative that the farmers protests are restricted to north India, the all-India character of the Bandh & Protest was clearly visible when in southernmost Tamil Nadu, protests were held at 300 places, more than 35,000 farmers were out on the streets and 11,000 plus were arrested by the BJP-friendly state government.
It may be recalled that AIKSCC had started protests from before August 9 and had announced that it will continue protests till all three laws are withdrawn. Since the Central Govt. is going ahead with the implementation of these anti-farmer laws and is also spreading misinformation with regard to MSP/Procurement, AIKSCC will carry forward this resolve of the farmers and shall not allow these laws to be implemented.
Prof Yadav said AIKSCC calls upon the Central Govt. to heed to the farmers demands and desist from promulgating these Acts. It also calls upon State Governments of Opposition Parties who have expressed support to the cause and position of the farmers to devise legal ways to ensure that these are not implemented in their States. Additionally, AIKSCC calls upon State Assemblies of these States to adopt Resolutions not to implement these laws as they undermine the federal structure and are a serious attack on farmer’s rights.
AIKSCC will continue and further intensify its agitation against these black anti-farmer laws.
“Several State Units of AIKSCC have already given a call for continuing the agitations by way of village level and block level or mandi level meetings, seminars to expose the fraud being perpetrated by the Central Govt. on farmers, spontaneous protests, relay hunger strikes, hunger strikes etc,” he added.
He informed that AIKSCC National Working Group endorses all state level programs, including:
* Call for Rail Roko Issued by Punjab Farmers Organisations
* Call to protest outside the house of Haryana’s Dy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on 6th October, to demand his resignation
* Call by Karnataka Farmers Organisations and other Groups to resist implementation of anti-farmer/anti-people Central and State laws and action, against which huge protests and rallies have already been held and more are being planned
These state level of local protests will be accompanied by national level programs, some of which are as follows:
* On 2nd October, Farmers of India shall take a pledge for *Social Boycott* of those political leaders and representatives whose parties have not opposed these anti-farmers legislations and for holding village meetings to adopt resolutions against the anti-farmer laws of the Central Govt.
* 14th October shall be observed by Farmers of India as *MSP Adhikar Diwas* wherein farmers shall expose the lie of the Govt. that the farmers are receiving MSP as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
*All the protests will culminate in a National Protest on 26th & 27th November in Delhi.
AIKSCC hereby gives a call for “Delhi Chalo” to all Farmers of India so that this anti-farmer Central Govt. is forced to withdraw its inhuman assault on farmers’ future and livelihood.