Farmers Urge PM Modi to Honor Assurances; Express concerns over deteriorating health hunger strike of Dallewal

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has written a fervent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate action on the demands of farmers and drawing attention to the alarming health condition of Sri Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 53 days. The letter, addressed through Members of Parliament (MPs) and Chief Ministers, emphasizes the government’s failure to honor its 2021 written assurances and raises serious concerns about the recently proposed National Policy Framework for Agricultural Markets (NPFAM).

Highlighting the critical health condition of Dallewal, the letter expresses deep anguish over the government’s inaction. “It will be a huge tragedy for the country if a valuable life is lost only because the Government of India chose not to respond,” the SKM stated, calling for immediate talks to resolve the issues and save his life. The SKM strongly criticized the NPFAM, describing it as a revival of the controversial farm laws repealed after the 13-month-long farmers’ movement. They allege the policy paves the way for corporatization of agriculture, undermining the independence of farmers and state governments’ role in agriculture development. Key objections include -Unified National Market, Contract Farming via FPOs and MSP.

The SKM has urged state legislatures to reject the draft policy outright and communicate their disapproval to the central government.  The SKM pointed out that the government has not moved to meet these assurances, despite farmers demanding legal MSP guarantees, debt waivers, and free electricity for agricultural use. Instead, provisions in the New Electricity Act, such as higher tariffs and smart meters, have further burdened farmers. Farmer leaders also appealed to MPs and Chief Ministers to raise these issues in their respective assemblies and push the central government for immediate resolution.

After a successful first meeting the farmer leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha will held another meeting with the protesting farmer leaders associated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Saturday. As per the information the farmer leaders were likely to chalk-out a strategy of a united front to lead the agitation strongly to pressurize the government for the pending demands of the farmers including guaranteed Minimum Support Price.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders on January 13 held a meeting with the two farmer bodies leading the protest at the borders of Punjab and Haryana for a joint agitation to press the Centre into accepting their demands and said public support is crucial to win the fight. The SKM, which led the 2020 agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws, is not part of the stir of the SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) that has been going on at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points since February 13 last year after a farmers’ march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.