We know that under pressure of the heroic struggle and self-sacrifice of the peasants and all sections of the toiling people across the country during last one year, Modi Government has been forced to announce repeal of the three anti-peasant pro-corporate Black Farm Laws. But still it is pursuing the same old policies to oppress the people and serve the interest of the monopoly houses of home and abroad. In its last cabinet meeting on 24 November 2021, it has declared to table the anti- people electricity bill-2021 in the coming session of parliament and has not said a single word on the question of legalisation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) of procurement of all agricultural produce by the central government. Now, it is a serious challenge to the struggling peasants to compel the government to legalize MSP and withdraw the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2021. We know this Bill is not only a serious attack on the farmers but also on the electricity consumers of the entire country. So it is an imperative task of the movement to foil this heinous attack of the Modi led-BJP Government.
Prime Minister Modi has mentioned of forming a committee on MSP. What is the necessity of forming committees on issues already decided and promised to implement? We know, in the year 2004-2006, The Farmers Commission headed by M.S. Swaminathan had recommended to provide MSP at C2+50% basis(C2= the actual amount farmers spend on growing a crop each season plus actual input costs as well as the implied economic value of family members working on the farm plus value of capital assets, including rent and interest on the land.) In the 2014 election, the BJP promised in its manifesto to operationalize it and the Prime Minister himself promised to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.
Apart from this, in the year 2011, when Shri Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, a committee was formed under his chairmanship which also recommended to the then Prime Minister to provide legal guarantee on MSP. So, what is the point of forming a committee again on the same subject? It is nothing but an attempt to deceive the peasants and other people. So it is our considered opinion that government should take appropriate steps in the coming session of parliament to legalise MSP and to shoulder the responsibility of procuring agricultural produce at MSP.
Due emphasis should also be given on four other demands like (i) adequate compensation to the families of the martyrs, (ii) withdrawal of all cases filed against the struggling peasants of different states and, (iii) ouster of Ajoy Mishra Teni from the central ministry etc. which are already mentioned in the open letter to the Prime Minister by SKM.
In this context, our suggestions to the SKM are as follows:
1) If all these demands mentioned above are not met properly, we should continue and strengthen our country-wide movement. For that purpose, a countrywide movement programme should be announced in due time.
2) Our worker brothers under the leadership of 10 Central Trade Unions are strengthening their movement against privatisation and corporatizations and they have already declared two days’ all India strike in the month of February 2022. Soon they are supposed to finalise the dates of the strike. We should give an all-out effort to strengthen workers-peasants unity to defeat the heinous move of the corporates and their subservient central BJP government.
3) We have noted that nowadays this movement has not just remained a movement of the peasants, but has become a movement of all sections of the toiling people across the country. So, Samjukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) should take proper steps to unite all these people round the country.
It is a reality that the undaunted heroic peasant movement has created a firm conviction among the masses of the whole country that they can defeat the machination of a fascist autocratic government if they are united, organized and mentally prepared for a sustained struggle braving all sorts of oppression and suppression. Exactly that has happened under the wise leadership of SKM. The Indian people demands more from this leadership. They are sure that this leadership will take proper steps to strengthen and advance the movement further to defeat and destroy this rule of capitalists and corporates and their servile central BJP government.
– All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS)
AIKKMS on formal withdrawal of three Black Farm Laws and remaining tasks before the peasant movement today
