Farmers stage rallies in state capitals on “Raj Bhawan Chalo” call of SKM

On the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers staged protest gatherings at 25 state capitals, more than 300 district headquarters and numerous tehsil headquarters on November 26. According to the SKM, more than 3000 protests were held all over India. Lakhs of farmers and citizens came out on the streets to join the 'Raj Bhawan Chalo' or 'March to Raj Bhawan' call of SKM to register their protest against the anti-farmer BJP-led Union Govt and send a Memorandum of Demand of Farmers. Issuing a press release in this regard, SKM said, the farmers staged a protest to “send Memorandum of Demand of Farmers to the President of India through State Governors, to intervene and stop the anti-farmer activity of the ruling party at the Centre.”

Massive gatherings of lakhs of people were witnessed at Chandigarh, Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata, Trivandrum, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Jaipur and many other state capitals. SKM estimates that more than 5 million farmers came out on the streets of India today, in a massive show of collective strength and will to continue struggle till all demands of farmers are met.

The demands include (1) a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) at C2+50% for all produce for all farmers; (2) freedom from indebtedness through a comprehensive loan waiver scheme; (3) withdrawal of Electricity Amendment Bill 2022; (4) dismissal and legal action against Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni, who is accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of farmers and a journalist; (5) comprehensive and effective crop insurance scheme to speedily compensate farmers for crop loss due to natural calamities; (6) farmers’ pension of Rs 5,000 per month to all marginal, small and medium scale farmers and agricultural workers; (7) withdrawal of all false cases registered against farmers during the farmers’ movement; and (8) payment of compensation to families of all farmers who were martyred during farmers’ movement.

SKM says that the date 26th November has a special significance in India. It is our Constitution Day, when our Constitution was signed and later on became the foundation of the laws of the land. It was also on 26th November in 2020 that SKM had launched the historic “Delhi Chalo” movement, which became the world’s longest and largest farmers’ movement, and led to the astounding victory of farmers against the corporate-political nexus to oust farmers from their land and livelihood. The nationwide “March to Raj Bhawans” today on 26th November marks the beginning of the next phase of the farmers’ protest.