Farmers’ protest: After Delhi Chalo paused, parleys on for a united front; SKM sets conditions

Appealing the leadership spearheading the current farmer protest, which has been paused after the death of a farmer due to alleged firing by Haryana Police, to keep aside differences and unite for the struggle, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has set some conditions including opposition to BJP and allied parties, for any joint initiative, sources said.

Announcing that an 8-point agenda was handed over to leaders of SKM (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Friday, SKM in a statement said that there is a need for further discussion among the respective kisan organisations and platforms. It hopes that the right path and right thinking adopted in the successful united farmers’ struggle in Delhi during 2020-21 will still be adhered to.

“By implementing the same path again, the struggle can become a united struggle at the all India level,” SKM said in a statement.

The agenda was chalked out by the six member executive committee of SKM, which was formed at the General Body meeting in February 2022.

Though SKM said that the main target still is the Union Government, the ruling BJP and its allied parties, the united struggle has to uphold secular and pan-India character and be independent of political parties.

On March 1, the leaders of SKM (non-political) and KMM announced that they would not force entry to proceed towards Delhi and mobilise more farmers at different border points with Punjab as the Haryana Government has not been allowing them to use the highways passing through its territory by fencing with iron wire, nails and concrete boulders.