SKM seeks meeting with President Murmu to discuss farmer issues, Dallewal continues strike

Amid ongoing farmers’ protests and an indefinite hunger strike by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking an appointment with her to discuss their issues.

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In a statement issued on Thursday, SKM said they wanted to address the situation surrounding Dallewal’s hunger strike and other “pressing issues”, including the introduction of a National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing.

The farmers have been demanding a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

Farmers, under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was blocked by security forces.

A ‘jatha’ (group) of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel in Haryana.

“A delegation of SKM requests an appointment with you at your earliest convenience to share our concerns about the precarious situation and the growing unrest among farmers across the country,” the letter, dated December 25, said.

The SKM added that farmers from over 500 districts had submitted memoranda to the President through district magistrates, urging her “urgent intervention” to facilitate discussions between the Union Government and all farmer organizations on the long-standing demands.

Dallewal (70) has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border since November 26, calling on the Centre to address the farmers’ demands including a legally binding minimum support price for crops.

According to doctors from an NGO attending to him, he is only consuming water and his condition is “critical.”

In addition to a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm laborers, no hike in electricity tariffs, the withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.