Samyukt Kisan Morcha

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (lit. 'Joint Farmers Front') is a United Front of over 40 Indian farmers unions formed in November 2020 to coordinate the farmers' Satyagragh against the decision by Narendra Modi led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to implement three farm acts.[1] The farm unions in opposing the three farm laws have asserted that laws are an unwelcome imposition,[2] violate the constitution,[3][4][5] are anti-farmer,[4] and pro big business.[6][7][8][9][10] Forty plus Farmers’ Unions that form part of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) are ideologically diverse.[11] Yet they remain united in their strategy of peaceful andolan (movement), and in their common minimum program of getting the Government to repeal the three ‘farm laws’, and make law to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for 23 crops.[11][12] Large number of trade union organizations support the SKM and have endorsed its protest.[13] The SKM has held eleven round of talks with the government to repeal the three farm bills without success.[14][15]

Sanyukt Kisan Morcha
AbbreviationSKM
Formation7 November 2020 (2020-11-07)
Legal statusActive
PurposeUnited Front of Farmer's unions
Region served
India
AffiliationsAll India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee
Websitehttps://twitter.com/kisanektamorcha?lang=en

Role

Sanyukt Kisan Morcha which has relationships with over 500 national farm and workers' unions and with which it coordinates its action,[16] is at the heart of the farmer’s movement. It represents the farmers union in talks with the government, issues statements on behalf of all the unions, and coordinates the strategy and tactics between the disparate groups. SKM has gained salience following the protesting farmers march to Delhi in their tractors and trolleys across the border between Punjab and into Haryana. The intention here is to build up a chain of farmers who would besiege the NCR territory in the face of opposition by Haryana Police, and Delhi Police on November 25-26,[17] and in the wake of the decision of by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), to deploy Delhi Police to prevent the farmers from entering into Delhi on November 26, 2020. As a result of the decision by the MHA and police actions by Haryana and Delhi Police the SKM has been conducting peaceful protest, staying in the streets in tractors/trollies. Many farmers died because of chilling cold on the borders of Delhi-Haryana, Delhi-Uttar Pradesh (UP), and on the Haryana-Rajasthan border since November 26, 2020. Estimates of the population of farmers who come in by rotation from Punjab, Haryana, and various parts of the country in camps on Delhi's borders vary between 100,000 to 300,000.[18] SKM and its supporters main camps in Haryana are in Singhu, and Tikri, on the Haryana- Delhi border where they face the Delhi and Haryana Police. In Palwal, in Haryana, the SKM supporters face the Haryana police, which has stopped them from traveling to Delhi.[19] [20] In UP the main camps are in Ghazipur, Chila (Noida- Delhi road), on the UP-Delhi border, where the farmers face the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Police. On the Haryana and Rajasthan Border, the main Camp of the SKM is near Shahjahapur, where the farmers face the Haryana and the Rajasthan police.[21][22]

Coordination Committee and Leaders

Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has a Seven member coordination committee which coordinates the work of the 'Morcha', engages in outreach with other farmers unions, decides and coordinates media policy, briefs the media, addresses press conferences, issues statements, decides on strategy and tactics of the movement, responds to government letters and actions.[23] The Seven Member Committee includes Jagjit Singh Dallewa (president BKU-Sidhupur), Dr. Darshan Pal (president Krantikari Kisan Union), Hannan Mollah (AIKS); Balbir Singh Rajewal (president BKU-Rajewal), Ashok Dhawale (national president of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha), Yogendra Yadav (president of Swaraj India which he founded ), Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Shiv Kumar Kakka.[24]

Other leaders of SKM include BKU (Rakesh Tikait faction), BKU Lakhowal (Harinder Singh Lakhowal), Jamhoori Kisan Sabha (Kulwant Singh Sandhu), BKU Dakaunda (Buta Singh Burjgill), BKU Doaba (Manjit Singh Rai), and Kul Hind Kisan Federation (Prem Singh Bhangu), Satnam Singh Pannun.[25]

The lawyers advising the movement in its negotiations with the Government, and Supreme court on issues of law includes Colin Gonsalves, Dushyant Dave and Prashant Bhushan, H S Phoolka.[23][26]

See also

References
  1. Press Trust of india (December 25, 2020). "Umbrella Body of Protesting Farmer Unions to Hold Meeting, Respond to Centre's Letter". The Economic Times.
  2. Yadav, Yogendra (December 10, 2020). "Modi Govt Gave an Unwanted Gift to Farmers. Now It Can't Even Handle Rejection". ThePrint. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  3. Sainath, P (December 10, 2020). "And You Thought It's Only about Farmers?". People’s Archive of Rural India,. Retrieved January 19, 2021.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  4. Boparai, Aadil, Salman Khurshid (December 12, 2020). "Farm Laws Alter Bargaining Landscape in Favour of Corporate Players". The Indian Express.
  5. Bhattacharyya, Bishwajit (January 20, 2021). "How the Parliament Overstepped in Bringing the Three Farm Laws". The Wire. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  6. Jagga, Raakhi (November 24, 2020). ""Awaiting Farmer Unions in Delhi, Courtesy DSGMC: Langar, Rooms."". The Indian Express. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  7. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has a seven-member committee to coordinate the work of the Morcha. (January 1, 2021). "Sanyukt Kisan Morcha to Continue Movement till Fulfillment of Demands". The hitavada.com. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  8. Parul (January 11, 2021). "Sainath: Farm Protest Is in Defence of Democracry, We're Reclaiming Republic". The Indian Express. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  9. D’Souza, Faye (September 22, 2020). "P Sainath Explains Why Farmers Are Protesting". Zoom. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  10. Sainath, P (September 22, 2020). "Farm Bills Will Benefit Big Corporates, Not Farmer". Newsclick. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  11. Singh, Shiv Inder (January 7, 2021). "Image That Modi Government Doesn't Retract Statements Is Shattered: BKU (EU) Head Joginder Ugrahan". The Caravan. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  12. Mishra, Himanshu Shekhar; Prabhu., Sunil (January 15, 2021). "120% Fail' Says Farmer Leader After 9th Round Of Talks With Centre". NDTV.com. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  13. Caravan, Desk (December 14, 2020). "Delhi's 50 Organisations Join Hands to Show Solidarity with Protesting Farmers". Caravan. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  14. Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (January 15, 2021). "9th Round of Talks between Government and Farmers Unions Held In Vigyan Bhawan". Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  15. Mishra, Himanshu Shekhar; Prabhu., Sunil (January 15, 2021). "120% Fail' Says Farmer Leader After 9th Round Of Talks With Centre". NDTV.com. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  16. Gupta, Moushumi Das (January 20, 2021). "Modi Govt Offers to 'suspend' Farm Laws until Standoff Is Resolved, Awaits Farmers' Response". The Print. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  17. Jagga, Raakhi (November 24, 2020). ""Awaiting Farmer Unions in Delhi, Courtesy DSGMC: Langar, Rooms."". The Indian Express. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  18. Pasricha, Anjana (December 8, 2020). "India Farmer Protest Shuts Down Transportation, Food Markets Nationwide". Voice of America News / FIND. Washington, United States: Federal Information & News Dispatch, LLC.
  19. Kaushal, Ravi (January 1, 2021). "In Haryana's Palwal, the Farmers Protest Brings Down Longstanding Barriers". Newsclick. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  20. Kaushal, Ravi (January 12, 2021). "Enough is Enough', Akola Farmers' Message to PM Modi". Newsclick. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  21. Punia, Mandeep (January 2, 2021). ""Far from Delhi, Frustrated with Leadership, Farmers at Rajasthan Sit-in Break Barricades."". The Caravan. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  22. Chabbra, Ronak (January 18, 2021). "Eyes on R-Day Tractor Parade, Women Take Charge of Protest at Rajasthan-Haryana Border". NewsClick,. Retrieved January 19, 2021.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  23. Press Trust of india (December 25, 2020). "Umbrella Body of Protesting Farmer Unions to Hold Meeting, Respond to Centre's Letter". The Economic Times.
  24. Those who signed the statement are Punjab union leaders Darshan Pal, Balbir Singh Rajewal and Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, as well as Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh leader Shiv Kumar Kakkaji, All India Kisan Sabha leader Hannan Mollah and All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee leader Yogendra Yadav. "Farmer's protest". thehindu.com.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. Balaji, R (December 17, 2020). "Supreme Court to Form Panel on Farmers' Agitation". The Telegraph onLine. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  26. Press Trust of India (December 17, 2020). "Farmer Leaders to Consult Senior Lawyers to Decide next Course of Action". The Economic Times,. Retrieved January 15, 2021.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
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