Newsclick

SKM Announces Nationwide Protests Against Centre Over Newsclick FIR

Terming the allegations made in the Newsclick FIR against the Farmers’ Movement as false and motivated, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday announced nationwide protests against the central government.

The Morcha has however not declared any date for their protest.

The SKM in a statement said that it was shocked to learn about the scurrilous and malafide allegations made against the historic SKM-led Farmers’ Movement in Delhi, in the FIR lodged by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police against media house Newsclick and several journalists.

“SKM rejects the patently false and mischievous allegations in the FIR that the Farmers’ Movement aimed to disrupt supplies and services essential to the life of the community in India, abet damage and destruction of property, cause huge loss to the Indian economy and create internal law and order problems, through illegal foreign funding,” a statement issued by SKM said on Sunday.

“No supply was disrupted by farmers. No property was damaged by farmers. No loss to the economy was caused by farmers. No law and order problem was created by farmers. By violently stopping the farmers from exercising their democratic right of reaching the nation’s capital, through barbed wire fencing, water cannons, lathi charges, and digging up roads, it is the Union government that caused great inconvenience to the people of the nation and the farmers,” it added.

In the statement, the SKM said that they through their constituent organizations, have already expressed solidarity with independent media houses like Newsclick and with scores of journalists who have the courage to write and publish the truth about this anti-people BJP-led Union Government, and denounced the nefarious attempts of the government to muzzle and choke their voices through false cases and arrests by illegal misuse of state machinery and power.

“Further expressing solidarity with Newsclick and all sections of the independent media, SKM announces nationwide mass protests against this BJP-led Union Government for its renewed attack on the Farmers’ Movement through the Newsclick FIR,” the statement added. (ANI)

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SKM Protests

SKM To Hold Nationwide Protests In Support Of Wrestlers

Security was beefed up at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Sunday after Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) announced that it will hold nationwide protests including in Delhi in support of the protesting grapplers.

Wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for over 10 days demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh and his sacking from the post in the light of allegations of sexual harassment by the wrestlers.

According to an SKM statement on Saturday, on May 7, several leaders of the organisation from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will visit the protest site at Jantar Mantar and extend support to the protesting wrestlers.

Notably, SKM had spearheaded the year-long farmers’ protest on the borders of the national capital against the now-repealed farm laws.

On Friday, Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij extended his support to the protesting wrestlers near Jantar Mantar.

Speaking to ANI, the Haryana Home minister said he had complete sympathy and support for the protesting wrestlers.

He even assured the grapplers that he was willing to mediate and hold talks with the government on their behalf.

“This entire matter is now being addressed at the highest level. Since I have also been a sports minister, my sympathies and support are with the protesting wrestlers. If they want me to meditate and talk to the government, I am willing to do so,” Vij said.

Moreover, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday said the Delhi Police was conducting an unbiased investigation against the wrestling federation chief and were working to meet the demands of the protesting grapplers.

“A demand had been put forward to form a committee and a panel was constituted. Two FIRs have also been registered by Delhi Police and Supreme Court also gave its verdict. Delhi Police is conducting a fair investigation,” the Union Minister said.

The Union Minister said that free and fair elections of the Wrestling Federation of India have been taken into consideration and that the Indian Olympic Association is working towards it.

On Wednesday, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha met the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar.

On April 23, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshee Mallik returned to the protest site at Jantar Mantar, claiming that six women wrestlers, and a minor, filed a sexual harassment complaint against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Connaught Place Police Station but Delhi Police did not register an FIR. The protesting grapplers also demanded that the Sports Ministry make the findings of the Oversight Committee public.

Delhi Police filed two FIRs on April 28 following the notice by the Supreme Court.

Earlier this year, prominent wrestlers came forward to lead a protest against the WFI chief, following which the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formation of an ‘oversight committee’ to probe allegations against the WFI, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and some coaches.

The protesting wrestlers have made it clear that they won’t move until they get justice and Brij Bhushan is removed as the WFI chief and put behind bars. (ANI)

Newsclick

SKM To Hold ‘Kisan Maha Panchayat’ In Haryana’s Jind On Jan 26

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold ‘Kisan Maha Panchayat’ in Haryana’s Jind on January 26, the officials of the union told the media persons on Saturday.

The district and block-level protests will also be organized in different parts of the country to press the Union government for the pending demands of the farmers, including fixing the guaranteed minimum support prices, and withdrawing cases filed against farmers during farmers’ agitation among others, said SKM officials.
A meeting of SKM was held on Saturday at Gurudwara Dera Kar Sewa in Haryana’s Karnal.

During the meeting on Saturday, the union condemned the raids by the Income Tax department on Punjab singers including Kanwar Grewal and Ranjit Bawa, who supported the farmers’ agitation against the three farm bills.

The upcoming Mahapanchayat in January will discuss the next course of action by the SKM regarding the demand for swift action against the accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

The demand for removing Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra from the cabinet will also be discussed in the Mahapanchayat.

The discussion will take place regarding SKM’s demands for the withdrawal of cases filed against the farmers during the farmers’ agitation. SKM’s call for the release of the farmers languishing in jails will also be discussed.

Farmer leaders including Bhartiya Kisan Union’s National Spokesperson (BKU) Rakesh Tikait, Joginder Singh Ugraha, Darshanpal, Ruldu Singh Mansa, Ravindra Singh Patiala, Suresh Kaut, and Amarjeet Mohdi participated in the meeting. (ANI)

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Samyukta Kisan Morcha

Samyukta Kisan Morcha To Hold Marches To Raj Bhawans On Nov 26

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday announced that it would conduct large farmers’ marches to Raj Bhavans on the second anniversary of the SKM-led farmers’ struggle and submit a memorandum to the President Droupadi Murmu through the respective Governors on November 26.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, SKM leaders including Darshan Pal, Hannan Mollah, Yudhvir Singh, Avik Saha, and Ashok Dhawale gave a call to all the farmers of the country to hold the march.
With many other demands, SKM has asked the government to provide a legally guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for all the crops that should be set at a profit margin of 50 percent.

The farmers have also demanded legal action against union minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, who is accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of farmers and journalists.

SKM leaders also demanded a comprehensive and effective crop insurance scheme to speedily compensate farmers for crop loss due to natural calamities, farmers’ pension of Rs 5,000 per month to all marginal, small, and medium-scale farmers and agricultural workers, and withdrawal of all false cases against farmers during the SKM movement and also payment of compensation to families of all farmers who were martyred during SKM movement, along with the major local demands of the respective states.

It was on 26 November 2020 when SKM had launched the historic “March to Delhi” which became the world’s longest and largest farmer’s movement and led to the astounding victory of farmers against the corporate-political nexus to oust farmers from their land and livelihood, the SKM press release said.

SKM’s National Council held a meeting on 14 November 2022 at Gurudwara Rakabganj, New Delhi, and strongly condemned the Narendra Modi-led ruling government for “betraying” the farmers.

According to the statement by the Morcha, the government betrayed the farmers of the country by not implementing the written assurances made on 9 December 2021 on legally guaranteed MSP.

The meeting resolved to advise all constituent organisations to be prepared to further intensify the struggle across the country.

“The March to Raj Bhawan across India marks the beginning of the next phase of the farmer’s protest. Hence, SKM appealed to all farmers to prepare for and join continuous and committed countrywide struggles till all demands including “Karza Mukti – Poora Daam” – “Freedom from Indebtedness and Full Remunerative Price”- are fulfilled by the Government. Legally guaranteed MSP for all crops and freedom from indebtedness are the major demands the farmers have been fighting for since the rollout of neo-liberal policies that aggravated the agrarian crisis and peasant suicides,” the statement said.

“Since 1995, more than 4 lakh farmers have committed suicide in India and around 68% of the peasant households are indebted and in financial distress. These demands along with the demands of the repeal of three pro-corporate Farm Laws and the Electricity Bill 2020 led to the historic one-year-long farmers’ struggle at the Delhi borders since 26-27 November 2020 which was actively supported by all sections of the working people in India,” it further said.

The morcha has announced a plan of action to intensify the protests for the coming weeks with the focus on massive protest gatherings beginning from the village level and spreading across the country.

It will organise Fateh Diwas or Victory Day all over the country on 19 November 2022.

“It may be recalled that the Modi Government had to give in to the main demand of repeal of the three farm laws on 19 November 2021. In the face of sustained protests by farmers, it also gave a written assurance on 9 December 2021 to set up a committee on MSP law, with fair representation from SKM, and on other demands. It was on the basis of this assurance that the farmers returned home on 11 December 2021, suspending their historic struggle at the Delhi Borders in which more than 700 farmers were martyred. In this backdrop, SKM shall celebrate 19 November 2022, the first anniversary of the capitulation and declaration of withdrawal of the 3 Black Farm Laws by PM Modi, as Fateh Diwas or Victory Day,” it said.

Farmers will stage a protest march from December 1-11 to the offices of Lok Sabha and Raj Sabha MPs of all the political parties and also to leaders and MLAs of all State Assemblies and a call-to-action letter would also be submitted to all of them, demanding that they bring up the issue of farmers demands in Parliament/State Assemblies and force a debate and resolution of these issues, as per the SKM’s statement.

The next meeting of the SKM is scheduled on December 8, 2022, at Karnal in which the next phase of the movement will be decided and announced. (ANI)

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