The Punjab chapter of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced a week-long dharna in Chandigarh from March 5.
The ‘Chandigarh Chalo’ call comes even as the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the SKM (non-political) are in talks with the Centre over a legal guarantee for MSP and other demands. The two outfits have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13 last year. The SKM, however, has also questioned the Punjab Government’s stand on the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM).
On Monday afternoon, Prem Singh Bhangu, president of All India Kisan Federation’s Punjab wing, went to the Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner’s office. “I sought a place for our week-long stir. In addition, we have also sought a suitable time from the deputy commissioner for a talk with SKM’s Punjab leadership over the issue,” he said.
Raminder Singh Patiala, member of the national coordination committee of SKM, said the Centre’s proposed NPFAM is “more damaging than the three repealed farm laws. If it is implemented, MSP will also be affected. Hence it is an alarm bell for the farmer community.”
“We want the Punjab Government to pass a resolution in the Legislative Assembly to reject NPFAM which they haven’t done till now. They just wrote one letter to the Union agriculture minister saying they disagree with NPFAM,” he said.
“However, there are 12 points in NPFAM, out of which six were previously agreed upon by the Punjab government,” Patiala pointed out. From 2012 to 2022, during the tenures of the SAD-BJP and Congress governments, six amendments were made in the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act which are now also part of the new NPFAM. Hence farmers are not sure if the Punjab government will be able to reject NPFAM altogether.
The six amendments pertain to private markets for crop procurement, markets for direct procurement from farms, granting market yard status to silos, warehouses and cold storage facilities, e-trading, single-point markets, and uniform unified license (One Nation, One License).
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SKM had been insisting that KMM and SKM (non-political) include rejection of NPFAM as a focal demand in their existing memorandum, but so far they haven’t reached a consensus over it. “All eyes of the SKM are on Tuesday’s Vidhan Sabha session as to whether the Assembly will pass a resolution against NPFAM,” Patiala said.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police have started contacting the SKM leadership to know about the nature of the demands, etc from Monday onwards.
Buta Singh Burjgill, president of BKU (Dakaunda) said SKM (India) had decided that the respective states should exert pressure on their governments to pass a resolution against NPFAM and intimate the Union government. “That’s why the protest is being planned in Chandigarh,” he said.
Meanwhile, leaders of SKM’s Punjab chapter sought MSP and guaranteed procurement for basmati rice, potatoes, maize, peas, and cauliflower for farmers in the state. “The state should ensure that the farmers get MSP on at least these six crops and a guaranteed procurement should be ensured by the state. The state’s role comes in getting procurement done on MSP,” added Patiala.
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The other demands include complete debt relief for farmers, withdrawal of FIRs lodged during the 2020-2021 protests, etc.
The SKM will also demand the implementation of pending commitments made by the Punjab government during the Delhi farmers’ protest, including government jobs and compensation for families of martyrs, leaders said.