Tamil Nadu: SKM Holds Solidarity Protests, Condemns Police Action on Protesting Farmers at Haryana Border

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organisation of hundreds of farmers associations in Tamil Nadu, held solidarity gatherings against the attacks on the protesting farmers in Shambu and Kanauri, the borders of Haryana and Punjab.

The member organisations of the SKM plan to hold protests during the week, urging the Haryana police to refrain from using pellet guns and tear gas against the democratic protests of the farmers. The organisations also condemned the death of Shubkaran Singh, a young farmer in police firing and several others, including a farmer who lost his vision, among other injuries.  

Various farmers organisations, affiliated to SKM (Non-Political), are holding protests from February 13, demanding  fulfilment of the promises made by the Union government, including the assurance on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural produce, debt waivers, compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives in the historic year-long farmers struggle in Delhi, 

Despite continuous “police repression”, the farmers have decided to retain their camps and stay put in the borders, while rejecting the offer of the Union government on direct procurement of five crops, namely, maize, cotton, massur, tur and arhar for five years. 

Speaking with Newsclick, R Ravi, convenor of the SKM in Kanniyakumari district, accused the Union government of going back on its promises made to the farmers on December 2, 2021 after the withdrawal of the protests. 

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led Union government promised to ensure MSP as per the M S Swaminathan Commission during the talks and even said that the recommendation will be implemented during the 2014 elections. Now they have betrayed the farmers, despite calling them ‘Annadatas’. The brutal police action by the BJP government in Haryana is another attack on the farmers”, he said. 

The SKM held protests in various districts across Tamil Nadu on February 26, 27 and 28, urging the Haryana government to stop attacking the farmers and urging the union government to fulfil its own promises.

Members of SKM, All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) held a protest in Kanniyakumari district. 

K Swaminathan, district secretary of the Vellore unit of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) accused the Union government of continuing its pro-corporate policies at the cost of farmers.

“The prime minister speaks a lot about the farmers, their welfare and double the income of the farmers. But in reality, all the promises are just farce and the farmers feel cheated. The police repression despite the protests being democratic and genuine speaks a lot about the attitude towards the farming community”, he said. 

The Sugarcane farmers, rubber farmers, agricultural workers and members of tribal associations joined the prestes and raised slogans against the union and Haryana governments.