'MSP law, free power, Rs 10,000 pensions': SKM reiterates demands in letter to PM Modi

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of farmer unions, on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating its demands from the Centre. It also claimed that the BJP governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had resorted to "repressive measures" on peaceful protests of farmers, unleashed lathi charge, rubber bullet and tear gas shelling, making many injured. 

"We would like to make clear that all these three measures are unacceptable in responsible governance," the morcha said. "We strongly protest the repression unleashed on farmers today at the Punjab border and want to clear that the Kisan Movement in India is united and single-minded and will resist any such act of authoritarianism and excessive use of state power."

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The morcha, which led the protest in 2021 against now repealed three laws, listed its demands which include MSP for all crops at Swaminathan formula of C2+50% with a legal guarantee of procurement, debt waiver with a reduction in input costs, no raise in electricity tariff and no to smart metres as per the new electricity bill, and free 300 units electricity for farming and domestic use and shops.

They also demanded comprehensive crop insurance payable for damage to each plot of land, punishment to guilty of the Lakhimpur incident including sending the main accused Ajay Misra Teni to jail, and a hike in pensions to Rs 10,000 per month and others. 

The morcha said the central government failed to form and conduct the committee to look into all these issues and resolve them in a time-bound manner. "Your ministers have been hesitant to talk with the SKM while more interested to talk with other platforms to project that the farmers' movement is divided to escape from your constitutional responsibility of solving the problems that distress the farmers," they said. 

The group urged the Prime Minister to take sympathy on the plight of farmers in the face of "severe onslaught of the corporate intervention in agriculture actively supported by the Union Budgets and departmental actions". "We urge you to immediately address the demands raised by SKM, initiate discussion in order to resolve the demands of the farmers of the country," the statement said.

This morning, farmers began their 'Delhi Chalo' march after their five-hour-long meeting with two Union ministers over their demands remained inconclusive on Monday. However, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who along with Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal attended the second round of talks with the farmer leaders, said a consensus was reached on most issues and a formula was proposed for resolving some others through the formation of a committee.