SKM Disappointed by ‘Vague Statements” by PM, BJP Leaders on Remaining Demands

Delhi: With confusion over the future of the farmers’ movement after the passing of the repeal bill from both Houses of the Parliament, the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has once again clarified that concrete decision on the different morchas at the different border sites will be taken in its meeting on December 4.

In a press statement dated November 30, it was announced that the “meeting will take place at the Singhu Border. In this meeting, there will be discussion on the various points raised in the letter to the Prime Minister and future decisions will be taken.”

The statement reiterated the broad coalition’s disappointment at the “vague statements” made by the Prime Minister and other BJP ministers in response to the remaining demands of the farmers. “The Modi Government cannot escape its responsibility of having to fulfill the remaining demands of farmers,” it said.

Commenting on the manner in which the repeal bill was pushed through both the Houses, it said that “SKM also condemns the fact that the Government got the Repeal Bill enacted in the same undemocratic and unparliamentary way as the Bills that were passed in 2020. It is a matter of serious concern that when twelve Parliamentarians tried to raise a debate on the Bill and related matters including MSP legal guarantee, they were unceremoniously suspended for the whole winter session of the Parliament. This stifling of detailed debates in the Parliament is outright unhealthy and undemocratic.”

Of the 12 MPs suspended for the entire winter session on Monday’s stormy session, six are from the Congress, two each from the TMC and Shiv Sena and one each from the CPM and the CPI.

The SKM also expressed its sense of feeling betrayed by the government on the issue of the Electricity Amendment Bill, the scrapping of which the former has been demanding for more than one year now.

“Electricity Amendments Bill 2021 being listed for Business in the ongoing Parliament Session is an outright reneging on the commitment made by the Government of India to the delegation of farm unions that was in formal talks with the government in December 2020,” declared the press statement, adding that “Similar is the case of penalising of farmers for biomass burning in relation to Delhi's air pollution. SKM states that with such manifestations of unreliable behaviour, it is completely obvious why the farm unions will not trust the Government of India on any verbal utterances.”

The SKM also extended its solidarity with the people of Silgar and Bastar in Chattisgarh, who have been struggling to defend their traditional land and livelihood resources from Adani. “SKM extends its solidarity and salutes the spirit of the adivasi farmers who are putting up this resistance against corporate takeover of basic resources and sources of lives and livelihoods of the communities,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Haryana constituents of SKM also took place on Tuesday to discuss plan of action for the future.

The press statement was issued by Balbir Singh Rajewal, Dr Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shivkumar Sharma 'Kakkaji', Yudhvir Singh, and Yogendra Yadav.